


Home For Christmas

by Ferus37



Category: Stranger Things (TV 2016)
Genre: Broken Heart, Christmas, Drinking, Ignores Season 3, M/M, Pie, Valentine's Day
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-26
Updated: 2020-01-29
Packaged: 2021-02-26 05:21:13
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 22,394
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21977992
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ferus37/pseuds/Ferus37
Summary: Steve's gone home to Hawkins for Christmas, leaving behind an ex-boyfriend, and taking with him a broken heart; hoping his family and friends will make him feel better, and give him some idea what to do next. They do, but someone unexpected does too.
Relationships: Billy Hargrove/Steve Harrington
Comments: 18
Kudos: 117





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This story was inspired by the song Home For Christmas by Maria Mena. It's a beautiful song, and I recommend checking it out.

Navigating the snowy roads on the way to Hawkins wasn't fun, but it was preferable to trying to navigate his own thoughts right now. Steve was single, as of roughly 5 hours ago, and he was going home for Christmas. He had all the belongings he'd felt he needed in the car. The rest he would either get later, or just count as lost. He didn't know if he'd go back to the apartment he'd been sharing with his boyfriend again. He should say so-called boyfriend, as the guy had never actually loved him, or maybe even liked him. He'd used Steve to try to get money out of him, and Steve had been too stupid to realize. He'd been too caught up in the idea of having a boyfriend. Of being gay with someone. He'd gone from hiding it from everyone around him, to having this boyfriend who was male, and his, and it was exciting, and he could give in to the kind of physical attraction he'd had to deny for so many years up until then. Maybe that didn't make Steve any better than his now ex-boyfriend. It didn't really matter now. Steve had bailed while Brad was sleeping. He'd packed some bags into the car in secret over the last couple of days, finished the last few bits in the middle of the night, and had taken off while it was still dark. He'd left a note saying he'd left both the apartment and the relationship, and why, but that was it. He just hadn't been able to stomach having a conversation with the guy about any of the shit. Steve felt like he had a broken heart, but he wasn't sure if his heart was broken because Brad had turned out to be a shit happy to use Steve's feelings for his own gain, or because he'd now lost the proper gay relationship he'd wanted for so long. Fuck everything. 

When he saw the sign welcoming him to Hawkins he felt relief flood him. He was home, where there were people who were important to him, and to whom he was important in turn. A part of him wondered why he'd left, but he knew why. He'd left because he was gay, and wanted to be gay without the small town prejudices fucking it all up for him. But now he'd been away a long time, and had tried it, and felt like it might be time to move back; small town mentality be damned. He could make it work here, and maybe he could even finally tell the people important to him what was up with him. He hadn't told a single person, even though he deep down knew most of them would be okay with it, and wouldn't think he was a disgusting freak. His parents might not be among them, but the kids would be. He just hadn't been able to bring himself to do it. Instead he'd left to try to pursue the life he'd convinced himself he couldn't have in Hawkins. Now that life had been properly fucked up, and might not even have been as good as he'd worked to convince himself it had been, so why stay there? Why not move home? He could decide over Christmas. He'd put in for the time off from work a couple of months ago, without telling Brad. He hadn't known at the time why he didn't want to tell Brad, but now he thought maybe his subconscious had been trying to tell him something. It wasn't a job he liked, so not going back wouldn't be a hardship. Maybe his dad would let him work for him, until he found something else. He had options, and none of them included Brad. But fuck it, it still fucking hurt. It hurt to know Brad had used him. It hurt to leave behind what he'd worked so hard for, to leave the place he could be gay and it was fine to be that. It hurt to feel like he was giving up instead of fighting back, and it fucking hurt to feel this fucking stupid. Fuck everything. 

He went home to his parents' house. They were surprised and happy to see him, and he pretended everything was completely fine, and that he'd only come home to surprise them for Christmas. As far as they were concerned he was living with a roommate, to have cheaper rent. He was never going to tell them otherwise. The evening went by relatively quickly, with them filling him in on what things were like in Hawkins, and him lying through his teeth to them about how hard it was to find a decent girlfriend. When he went to bed that night, he stared up at the ceiling of his old bedroom, and stopped fighting off the tears that had wanted to assault him all day. It was quiet, but cathartic. He felt better afterwards, and fell asleep surprisingly quickly. The fact he'd been awake almost 24 hours probably helped with that, truth be told. He dreamed about having a monumental fight with Brad. One he would probably never have. 

**************************

When morning came he had breakfast with his mother, because his father had already gone to work. After that he went in search of the gang. He found Dustin first, on purpose, who in turn found the others. Soon he was sitting in the Wheeler basement, with soda, chips, and a bunch of idiots setting up a D&D game. It was the perfect distraction from bad thoughts and bad feelings. Will was trying to help him make a character so he could join the game, but Steve wasn't sure he'd be playing. He said he could be the Voice of God, making suggestions. Dustin supported this idea immediately. Mike, who was going to be the Dungeon Master this session took some convincing, seeing as the DM was technically the voice of god to begin with. He finally accepted it when it was agreed Steve could be the small voice of a sub-god, and was okay with his suggestions being ignored. Lucas wanted a promise the suggestions wouldn't be too stupid. Steve said he couldn't promise that, because he was not a bright man. Max, who was now a permanent part of the team, along with Eleven, nudged Lucas in the ribs, and he nodded in defeat. Before long, everything was set up, and the game began. 

Four hours later they were still in pursuit of the evil halfling wizard. They'd gone through an impressive amount of soda and snacks, and Steve, being a non-essential part of the main story, was sent out to resupply, and get pizza. He was more than happy to do it. Being around the kids had cheered him up immensely. He hadn't thought of Brad even once during the four hours. He hadn't expected it to be that easy to push thoughts of the asshole aside. He wasn't complaining. Even in the car on the way to the grocery store and the pizza place it was easy to not focus on Brad and his own stupidity. At the grocery store he felt like a young teen who had just been given an allowance, with all the junk he put in the cart. Sodas, popcorn, chips, chocolate, twizzlers, twinkies. He was embarrassed at the register, but didn't back down. Those snacks were getting bought, come hell or high water. 

At the pizza place he ran into someone he hadn't thought he would meet again, because he'd expected the guy to have run off to California as soon as he was old enough to bail. Max's older brother. Step-brother, as was pointed out every time the subject came up. He was sitting at a table, eating pizza with two girls, who looked ready to eat him instead of the pizza. Steve couldn't blame them, because when he saw Billy Hargrove again, two thoughts hit him immediately. The first was that Brad looked an awful lot like Billy, which was something he hadn't considered before. The second was that Billy Hargrove was as hot as the surface of the goddamn sun. Steve's cock instantly wanted to get hard at the mere sight of him, which was weird, fucked up, and embarrassing all at the same time. Had he always been this hot? The stupid wannabe pornstar mustache was gone, and his hair had grown long enough that it no longer look like a permed mullet. That might explain why Billy's looks hadn't hit Steve this hard before. It was like being hit by a dump truck full of gorgeous. He was pretty sure Billy had grown more muscles while he'd been gone, and lost some body fat, so that the muscles were more than well defined. His t-shirt looked like it might burst any second. He looked as male as it was possible to get without being a bowl of testosterone. Apparently exactly Steve's type, judging by Steve's body's reaction. Fuck. Pretending he hadn't noticed Billy, or that he'd sort of noticed, but didn't care, was hard as all hell. He would not drool over the man. Absolutely fucking not. Steve resolutely walked to the counter and put in his ridiculously large order of four large pizzas, for seven people. They hadn't been able to agree on which ones to get, but eventually they went with a combination of “maybes” and “must haves”. If this kept up Steve would be broke before the new year, but he didn't care right now. The day had been too good to complain about things like money. 

When the pizza had been ordered he didn't really know what to do with himself while he waited, so he bought a soda and sat down at an empty table. He wished he had a book, even though he wasn't big on reading. It would have been a reason to not look at Billy Hargrove, while not conspicuously not looking at him. He settled for reading the menu really well, every letter and punctuation mark. He'd gotten about halfway when someone thumped onto the chair across from him. He looked up, straight at Billy's face; his blue eyes momentarily pushing the pause button on Steve's thoughts.  
“Hey, Harrington,” Billy said with a grin. “Having a pizza party?”  
“How would you know I didn't just get a small one?” Steve felt a small twinge of the old ire that seemed to be a chronic part of his interactions with Billy.  
“I overheard your order. I have good hearing,” he said with a wink and a grin that went to Steve's groin.  
“What do you want, Hargrove?” Steve asked, pretending to not be happy to see him. It wasn't completely pretending, because Billy sitting down like this was likely trouble.  
“Haven't seen you around for a while. Where you been?”  
“Moved away.”  
“I wouldn't have thought a rich kid would move away from the source of his money,” Billy teased, in a way that suggested he wasn't trying to hurt.  
“I'm not a fucking cripple,” Steve said angrily. The jab hit too close to what Brad had wanted. “I have a job.”  
“Doing what?” Billy lifted his chin in a subtle challenge Steve recognized from school. He had Billy had never had conversations without challenging each other in some way.  
“None of your goddamn business.” Steve didn't want to admit he was working at a grocery store. Not to Billy. It wasn't terrible work, but he just knew Billy would make something out of it.  
“Don't be so fucking pissy,” Billy burst out in annoyance. “I'm just fucking talking.”  
“We've never just talked, Billy,” Steve said reasonably, calmer now. “We've had verbal pissing contests, and thrown insults, and punches, and that was it.”  
“Yeah, well, maybe I want to change that,” Billy said, quietly now, and leaned his chin on in his hand. “I've wondered what it would be like to just hang out with you. Is that weird? How have you been?”  
“Fucking peachy,” Steve answered, without really thinking about the answer. Billy's admission sounded sincere, and threw Steve off his game. “You?”  
“Couldn't be better. Why'd you move?” 

Before Steve could answer, the girls Billy had been sitting with came over and sat at the table too. Billy looked annoyed to the point of anger at their presence. Steve was happy for the interruption.  
“I thought I told you to wait,” Billy told them.  
“You took too long,” said one of them. “Hi, Steve.” She smiled at Steve, who couldn't for the life of him remember her name. He smiled back.  
“Are you visiting for Christmas?” asked the other girl, Patricia.  
“Something like that.”  
“You moved to the city, didn't you?” asked the currently nameless girl. He'd remember eventually, or wouldn't. It didn't really matter. The girl clearly wanted to climb Billy like a fucking tree, and seemed to be more interested in the city than in Steve.  
“Yeah.”  
“What's it like?” She followed up.  
“Like here, but with more people.” He smiled crookedly. “And more fast food.”  
“Is that why you've gained weight?” Billy looked pointedly at Steve's body, that as far as Steve knew was exactly the same as it had always been, and he wasn't exactly foreign to the subject. Brad was a gym junkie, and had a weight set Steve borrowed when Brad wasn't home. He hadn't overdone it, so his body hadn't changed. He'd just kept in shape.  
“I haven't gained any weight, asshole,” Steve said grumpily. It annoyed him to have Billy verbally poke at his body. In retaliation he purposefully looked Billy up and down, and raised an eyebrow. “You however, have gained some serious body mass.”  
“I know,” Billy beamed proudly.  
The looks the girls gave him said they would drink shots off his fucking ass, if it meant they could touch said body mass with their lips. Billy looked like he was aware of how the girls were staring at him, but oddly enough he didn't look happy about it. 

The pizza was ready before they could talk more. Billy got up along with Steve, and told the girls to go back to their table, and their pizza. They grumbled, but complied.  
“I'll help you get the pizza to the car,” he told Steve.  
“I can manage.”  
“No doubt. Let me give you a hand anyway,” He persisted, and held the door open for Steve.  
They walked together to Steve's car, and Billy held the pizzas while Steve unlocked it. When they'd put the pizza in the front passenger seat, Billy touched Steve's arm gently, to stop him from getting in the car right away.  
“I moved out of my dad's place,” he said, which seemed out of the blue for Steve. “I have an apartment now. It's not big, but it's mine.”  
“Yeah?” Steve resisted the urge to add “so what?”.  
“Come over,” Billy said quietly, almost like he was worried people would overhear. “Tonight.”  
“What the fuck, man?” Steve burst out in surprise. “We don't even like each other.”  
“Look, don't be a dick. I'm serious.” He sighed, like he was steeling himself for something. “I don't even fucking know why I'm doing this, but I apparently am.”  
“You do understand why I'm not inclined to trust you, right?” Steve asked reasonably.  
“I do,” Billy answered, just as reasonably. “I've been an asshole most of my life. Royally so. But something's changed since you left, and seeing you again is weird. And just fucking come over tonight, dude,” he threw out in exasperation. “We'll have a beer or something.”  
“This is weird, dude.”  
“I know. Are you going to pansy out?” There was a familiar challenge in Billy's tone that made Steve feel a little more on even ground.  
“Are you going to have Tommy H. waiting there for me to fuck with me and beat me up or embarrass me or something?” Steve asked with a fake smile.  
“Fuck that sycophant,” Billy said with a disgusted shiver that Steve rather liked. “No. I don't hang with him anymore.”  
“What's changed? With you, not fucking Tommy H.”  
“I don't really know,” Billy said with a shrug that looked fake. “Or, I do, but it's not something I have words for.”  
“ _Why_ has it changed then?” Steve asked. He didn't know what else to say or ask right now. “You moved out of your dad's place?”  
“You left,” Billy said, and stepped closer to Steve. He was crowding him against the door of the car. Steve thought he probably should push him away, but he didn't. Instead, all he did was feel his heart rate go up.  
“What? That doesn't make sense.” How the hell would Steve leaving have anything to do with Billy changing? If he even had changed.  
“I know. Are you going to come over?” He spoke low. Steve would have said suggestive, if it hadn't been Billy fucking Hargrove talking that way to him.  
“Won't the girls be disappointed?” Steve felt like he was grasping at straws for a reason to not go now, because “I don't want to” felt like he would be lying if he said it.  
“Fuck them too,” Billy shrugged, not making any move to step back yet. “I don't care.”  
“You're still an asshole, you know.”  
“Yeah. Think you can overlook it and have a beer with me at my place?” he asked, almost gently, still using the suggestive tone of voice.  
“Why is it so fucking important to you that I come over?” Steve asked, and hoped the hitch he felt in his throat wasn't noticeable.  
“I'll tell you if you come over.”  
Steve closed his eyes and took a deep breath. This was weird, and fucked up, and Billy was standing way too close. The proximity to him was doing odd things to Steve's body and mind. The longer he stood like this, the more he wanted to just slam Billy against the car and kiss him senseless. That would be a monumentally bad idea, but the temptation was almost overwhelming. Had Billy always had this impact on him? Part of him said yes. Part of him knew the rivalry, and anger, stemmed from a deep attraction to the asshole that used to frustrate the shit out of him. He had wanted him so bad, but had known it was impossible. He'd known Billy would probably kill him if he ever even hinted at being attracted to him.  
“Steve?”  
Steve took another deep breath. Fuck it, why not?  
“Okay. Fine. I'll come over,” he said, and opened his eyes. Billy's eyes still pushed the pause button, though not for as long as before. “Have beer.”  
“Will do,” Billy smiled. One that looked genuine, and not even remotely mocking or sly. He explained to Steve where his apartment was, then he touched Steve's arm again, before turning and going back inside. Steve got in the car and wondered what the fuck had just happened. It felt like Billy had just somehow hinted that he was attracted to Steve. It felt like Billy had just come onto him, and had asked him to his apartment to do something about it. It couldn't be what had just happened, but that was still what it had seemed like. Steve had never seen Billy like that; calm, open, and seemingly completely honest. It was confusing, and fucked up, and what the fuck? But, he was apparently running with it, because he already knew he was going to go to Billy's place tonight. He would go, because his life was already weird and fucked up, and he was still feeling sort of heartbroken, and stupid, and reckless, and Billy was fucking hot, and... fuck everything. He drove back to the kids with the pizza, and spent the remainder of the afternoon trying not to think about Billy, and how stupid it would be to go to his apartment tonight.


	2. Chapter 2

It was past eight by the time Steve made his way to Billy's place. They hadn't agreed on a time, so he'd ended up procrastinating. He'd spent another three hours or so hanging out with the kids, while they finished their gaming session, and he even got to be the voice of god a few times. Then he had dinner with his parents, then had a long shower, and spent too long deciding what to wear, before spending even longer trying to get his hair to behave. He was nervous, which was stupid. He wasn't going on a damn date. He was just going to Billy's apartment, and it was just to find out why Billy had invited him. He smoked too much on the drive over. The building where Billy lived looked like it was a re-purposed motel. It wasn't dingy, but it was clear the apartments were tiny. Steve's first apartment in the city had been small too, with barely room for any furniture beyond a bed, but then he and Brad had decided to share an apartment. God, they hadn't even been dating a long time before they moved in together. Weeks. To Steve it had felt super special and adult. Like it was meant to be, and true love, and all that goddamn bullshit. Wishful fucking thinking. It hadn't been any of that shit. He pushed the unwanted thoughts away, took a steeling breath, and knocked on Billy's door. It was opened quickly by Billy, who stood in the doorway, looking like walking sex appeal. He was wearing fashionably worn jeans, and a t-shirt that was too tight over the chest and shoulders, and he was barefoot. His hair was pulled back into a ponytail. Steve instantly wanted to slam him up against the wall and make out with him until they both couldn't breathe. This evening was off to a great start. Billy smiled when he saw Steve, then stepped aside to let him in, without saying anything. 

Steve walked into what seemed to be the only room in the apartment, apart from what Steve guessed was a bathroom, that took up a corner in the back. It really looked like a re-purposed motel room. There was a kitchen corner by the front door, a couch with a table in front of it, a small TV on a shelf, with a VCR next to it, a bed in the opposite back corner from the bathroom, and a wardrobe. Billy looked mildly embarrassed as he closed the front door.   
“Like I said, it's not big.”   
“I think it's a little bigger than my first apartment in the city,” Steve shrugged. “Did this use to be a motel?”  
“Yeah, I think so. I guess they saw it as a really cheap was to make apartments. All they had to do was add a tiny-ass kitchen space. There's a laundry room at the end of the building.”   
“There wasn't in my building,” Steve said as he took off his shoes. If Billy was going to be barefoot, Steve wasn't going to sit around with shoes on. “I had to go to a laundromat down the street.”  
Billy held out an arm in the direction of the couch, to indicate Steve could sit down. Then he fetched two beers from the fridge. There were already some snacks on the table, and the TV was on, but muted. Steve sat, and was joined seconds later by Billy, and handed a beer. The apartment was that small. Billy curled his feet under him and sat facing Steve, who in turn faced Billy, but without moving his feet up from the floor.   
“You said your first apartment. You've had more than one?”  
“Two total. The first one, and the one I live in now,” Steve answered hesitantly. He hoped Billy wouldn't ask too many questions about his living situation.   
“Did you come into money and could upgrade?” Billy asked with a cheeky grin.   
“I share with someone now,” Steve said. It was really shared, past tense. He was done living with Brad.  
“Girlfriend?”  
“No,” Steve said, while frantically hoping that would be the end of that line of conversation.   
“Roommate?”  
“Something like that.” Steve immediately cursed his natural unwillingness to lie. He should have just fucking lied.   
“Boyfriend then,” Billy said, without the upward inflection to turn it into a question.   
Steve's stomach ran cold. Was this why Billy had asked him over? To check if he was gay, to have an excuse to beat the shit out of him? Had he been that obvious about being gay before he moved away?  
“No,” Steve lied, though at this point it wasn't technically lying. Brad wasn't his boyfriend anymore.   
“What then?” Billy tilted his chin ever so slightly up in challenge.   
“Like I said, something like a roommate.” He shrugged.   
“What's something like a roommate, without being one?” Billy raised an eyebrow. Steve had a feeling he was hinting at something, but didn't want to push it.   
“A guy who pays his part of the rent, but is barely home, and doesn't do any housework.” Lying came easy now that he'd started it. There was some truth to it. Brad didn't do housework.   
“That sounds like every asshole roommate ever,” Billy scoffed.   
“No, the asshole ones don't pay their half of the rent, and are lounging in the living room every time you try to bring a date home for some fun.”  
“Fair point,” Billy chuckled.  
So far this was going okay. Billy was being friendly. It was a nice change. 

Not wanting his living situation probed any further, Steve changed the subject.   
“You not being a rich kid,” he poked, “I expect you have a job to pay for this place.”  
“I do,” Billy replied. “It's a shitty job, but it's worth it.”   
“I know all about having a shitty job,” Steve nodded companionably.   
“The one you didn't want to tell me about?” Billy raised an eyebrow at Steve again. Steve was starting to like that expressive eyebrow.   
“Hey, the last time I met you you were a fucking asshole,” Steve said, with a hint of fake annoyance in his tone, “so pardon me for not wanting to admit to you that I work the register at a grocery store.”   
“I work in the kitchen at the RR Diner on the way out of town,” Billy shrugged. “I'm not sure which one is the shittier of the two.”  
“As in cooking, or cleaning?”  
“Cooking.” He paused and narrowed his eyes. “Does that surprise you? You maybe think I'm the kind of guy who doesn't know how to cook?”  
“I think cooking is a better job than ringing up purchases for assholes.” Steve nodded, and grinned. “Also, I am definitely the kind of guy who doesn't know how to cook.”   
“I'm not surprised you can't cook,” Billy grinned and stuck out his tongue, “but I am surprised you'd have a normal job. Doesn't your dad have his own company?”  
“Yeah, but I needed to get out of Hawkins, and he didn't approve, so normal job was my best option.” Steve shrugged. It had been worth it for him too. “It was that, thieving, or prostitution.”   
“You'd probably make a good prostitute.” Billy looked him up and down pointedly. It did things to Steve's body to be the target of such scrutiny from Billy. “Such an innocent pretty boy.”   
“I'm neither innocent nor pretty,” Steve protested.   
“Oh no, you are definitely pretty,” Billy said with that grin that charmed the pants of anyone it targeted, Steve included. “Frankly, you're flat out fucking hot.”  
“You're weird.” It was the only thing Steve could think of to say.   
“I'm honest,” Billy shrugged. “Maybe not all the time, but I am now.”  
“Now you just made it weirder,” Steve said with little conviction. It was weird, but not actually as weird as the words suggested it should be.   
Billy grinned unapologetically and got up to get more beer. Steve chugged the rest of his bottle while he was gone. Getting buzzed tonight didn't seem like a bad idea. 

He took a few moments to just watch Billy as he got the beer. It was very few moments, considering how few steps it took to complete the task, but it was enough for Steve to feel a surge of attraction for the guy. Billy was fucking hot, and this new calm Billy it was possible to have a conversation with was extremely attractive. It was the Billy Steve had wished he'd known back in school. They'd started out on completely the wrong foot, both of them, and it had all ended in disaster. Billy had been a piece of shit, but Steve hadn't exactly been a welcoming presence in Billy's life either. They'd been at each others' throats constantly, competing constantly. The funny thing was that Billy had Steve beat in most things, so if Steve hadn't already been established as King Steve, Billy probably wouldn't even have paid him any mind. And by the end of all the fucked up stuff happening in town, all that had felt unimportant to Steve. All he'd wanted by then was to be a better person, and the rivalry and all that came with it felt like bullshit. Still, he'd had that low key crush on the guy from the moment they met, until Steve flat out left town. Hell, his crush had lasted up until he met Brad at a party, and they hooked up. He wondered what life might have been like it had been Billy he had hooked up with at a party. They'd been to enough parties together, and somehow always ended up in figurative pissing contests, and once in a literal one, that neither of them won. Everything had been either King Steve or Badass Billy. It could never be both. Tommy H. had jumped ship as soon as Steve showed signs of not being a shit person, and had migrated to Billy like a demented moth to a flamethrower. Steve had been happy to see him go, but had also felt a little stab of jealousy, that Tommy could just hang out with Billy, and didn't have to constantly compete with him. That they could be friends, even if they were just shitty ones.

Billy came back and handed Steve another bottle, then put two on the table, and opened one for himself. He sat down like before, with his feet under him, and this time Steve joined him. They looked at each other without talking, and Steve felt the surge of attraction again. Was this just a side-effect of running out on Brad? Would he find Billy this intensely appealing if they'd met again under other circumstances? His gut told him yes. This new calm Billy fixed the flaws that had let Steve push aside his attraction before. The anger and cruelty that had made him convince himself Billy wasn't worth pursuing anyway. The way Billy was looking at him now, with interest, and something hot and heavy that crept down to Steve's groin, Steve knew he would be weak to this man under any circumstance. 

Billy finished off his second bottle in one chug, before he spoke again. It was impressive to watch, and Steve got more than a little distracted by Billy's Adam's Apple moving. Billy put the bottle down on the table and looked intently at Steve again.   
“You know, I always wondered if you were gay. You kind of gave off the vibe, without fitting into any of the gay stereotypes.”  
“I don't even know what a gay vibe is,” Steve said, panic now replacing the warm feeling in his gut.   
“You used to look at me,” Billy said by way of explanation.   
“Well gee, I looked at a person. I'm so busted,” Steve said derisively, while actually feeling busted. He'd spent far more time than was healthy looking at Billy at school. Basketball practice had been so distracting.   
“I used to think you looked at me the way I looked at you,” Billy said quietly. “Or maybe it was just wishful thinking. I never found the balls to actually test my theory.”  
Steve froze, completely thrown now.   
“What?” he asked dumbly. Had Billy admitted something huge to him just now?   
“You never were very bright,” Billy grinned.   
“Fuck you, asshole,” Steve responded absently.   
“In case I've been too vague here,” Billy said, and cleared his throat before continuing, “I used to have the biggest fucking crush on you, you preppy rich kid bastard.”  
“You had a funny way of showing it, you fucking dickhead,” Steve responded without even thinking about it. “You're so fucking rude.” Oddly, he felt no wish to get up and leave.   
“Yeah, well, all I knew was how to be angry, and use people.” Billy sighed, and looked regretful.   
“Do you know better now?”  
“Not really.” He shrugged. “I'm just less angry in general after I got away from my dad.”  
Steve nodded. He liked how willing Billy was to admit his father was a piece of shit. Billy's pride had stopped him from admitting even anything hinting at weakness, and his father had definitely been a point of weakness for him. Steve only knew this from talking to Max. Billy had never breathed a word about it to anyone. He'd just taken the beatings, and then beat someone else in return, like a fucked up game of telephone. 

They sat in silence a while again. Billy seemed to be waiting for something. Steve was trying to figure out what it was, while simultaneously trying to wrap his head around Billy saying he used to have a crush on him. Was Billy Hargrove fucking gay? What the fuck?   
“Why'd you move away, Steve?” Billy finally asked in a quiet voice.   
Steve immediately realized he was done avoiding, and hiding. He was ready to take a fucking risk.   
“Because I'm gay,” he said, just as quietly as Billy had asked, “and it sucks being gay in a small town. Especially when you feel like you're the only one. I just wanted to see what it was like to not be the only one.”   
“Yeah, I know how you feel. It was a hell of a lot easier in Cali.”   
“Why haven't you left?” Steve asked. He was envious of Billy not being alone as a gay teen, if he actually was a gay teen. That part had yet to be determined. “I would have thought you'd go back to California first chance you got.”   
“Yeah, go figure. I dunno. Felt right to hang around.” He shrugged. “This place isn't bad.”  
“I agree. It's better than the city.” Sitting here on Billy's couch, in his small apartment, Steve felt the urge to move back to Hawkins acutely.   
“Are you going to move back here then?”  
“I'm thinking about it,” Steve answered with a shrug.  
“City not what you hoped it would be?” Billy put a bowl of chips between then and ate some.   
“Something like that,” Steve answered vaguely. He didn't want to tell Billy about Brad. He didn't want to talk about him at all tonight. “It just doesn't feel like home.”  
“I used to think that way about Hawkins.” Billy said.   
“And now?” Steve took a handful of chips. Regular salt. He was a sour cream and onion guy, but regular salty was fine.   
“Sometimes I miss the ocean, but most of the time Hawkins is fine,” Billy said, then winked. “It's better when you're here, though.”  
“You're being weird again,” Steve said, mildly distracted by the wink.   
“I'm being honest again.” He shrugged. “Hawkins is better when you're in it. More interesting.”   
“We were never even friends.”  
“No, but I wanted to be,” Billy admitted. “I just didn't know how.”   
“Me neither, but yeah, I sort of did too, even though you were the biggest asshole I'd ever met.”  
“Can we be friends now?” Billy had a hopeful expression on his face that Steve found painfully cute.   
“Sure.” Steve grinned. “Let's be friends.”  
“I mean it.”  
“So do I.”   
“I guess it's too much to ask for to be more than friends,” Billy added after a small pause, with an expression that was somewhere between hopeful and sly.   
“God damn it, Billy,” Steve burst out in exasperation. He reacted like he did because the prospect was so goddamn tempting it couldn't possibly be healthy. He shouldn't indulge in thoughts like this in his current state of mind, but right now he wanted nothing more than to just make out with Billy right here and now, and then ask him on a date to see what happened. He used to think he was sensible, but he'd come to learn he wasn't, and right now the lack of sense he felt, or wanted to feel, when here with Billy was staggering. He'd never even reacted like this to Brad. Not even close. It was freaky how affected he was by Billy's mere presence.   
“I know. Fuck. Ignore me.” Billy held up his free hand. “It's just... I saw you again, and I didn't want to waste the chance by being a coward again.”   
“The chance?”  
“The chance to do something more than just watch you from a distance,” he said quietly, “and wish I was closer.”   
“You're being very forthright tonight,” Steve said, trying to push back the deep tingle in his stomach, “and weird.”  
“I may have had a few beers while waiting for you,” Billy admitted with a sheepish grin.   
“So you're drunk?” Steve lifted an eyebrow.   
“A little. Not enough to not know what I'm saying.”  
Steve drained the rest of his beer. There was no reason to take it easy if Billy was already drunk.   
“I feel like I need to catch up now.”  
“You want to get drunk?”  
“Maybe? I don't know. I've had a bad week.” He didn't want to tell Billy why it had been bad, but if he got drunk now he probably would. He still wanted to get drunk. 

Billy got up and went to his wardrobe. After some rummaging he came back with a bottle of Jack Daniels. He put it on the table, and got a couple of glasses. He poured half a glass for both of them and sat down. Steve drank a little too much in one go, and had to bite back a cough. Billy grinned at him. Steve grinned back and shrugged.   
“You are so not a person I thought I'd be getting drunk with anytime soon,” Steve said. “Or ever.”  
“Yeah, I know. Are you disappointed?” Billy asked.  
“No. It's just interesting, is all.” Steve drank some more, and pointed to Billy's glass. “You slow down so I can catch up.”  
“Drink faster,” Billy said, and poured more into Steve's glass.   
Steve decided caution could go flying off a cliff, and drank heartily. He looked at Billy's face, and saw a look of enthrallment there that did things to him. Good things, that were probably a bad idea to go with. Steve wasn't drunk yet, so that excuse was out. He could use the excuse of being fucked up because of Brad, but that excuse only worked on himself, seeing as he hadn't told Billy Brad even existed.   
“Billy?”  
“Hm?”  
“I've had a really bad week,” Steve said, while moving the chips bowl back to the table.   
“You said,” Billy said, as he watched Steve take his glass out of his hand. “You want to talk about it?”  
“No. I want to forget it for a while.” Steve finished off his booze and put his own glass on the table next to Billy's  
“I think that's why we're drinking.” Billy was sounding more and more hesitant. He didn't know what Steve was thinking about, and it seemed to make him uneasy.   
“Yeah, but I am about to do something else, that's stupid, and not sensible at all, and I want you to know I'm not in my right mind, and that reading too much into it might be a bad idea.”   
“Okay...”  
“Fuck everything,” Steve said.  
He leaned over, put a hand in Billy's hair, tugged him closer, and then kissed him. 

Billy gasped in surprise, even though Steve thought he had projected what was about to happen pretty well. A second later Billy's hands were in his hair, grasping, almost pulling. The kiss took on a life of its own. Billy tasted like Jack Daniels. His tongue was hot and slick and demanding. He kissed nothing like Brad. Brad was slow and always gave the impression he was thinking about something else, which should have been a red flag for Steve months ago. Billy gave the impression he was fully focused on Steve, and that he wanted nothing more than to kiss his brains out, and to make out until both of them couldn't breathe. Steve wanted that too. He sucked on Billy's lower lip, then his upper lip, and then Billy took over and did the same to Steve. Neither wanted to be a passive partner. They both wanted to be in control. The result was rough and intense. Before he knew it, Steve found himself straddling Billy, with their hands under each other's shirts. Billy's skin was hot, dry, and smooth. Steve broke the kiss just long enough to pull both their shirts off, to get better access. Billy made no protest. Instead he was as into it as Steve, his hands roaming, scratching, kneading. Steve was hard, and he felt Billy's hard cock push against him. Taking this further would be so fucking stupid. He should stop this. He should get up, apologize, and go home. He should, but instead he unbuttoned Billy's jeans, and took him in hand. Billy groaned as Steve started slowly jerking him off. It wasn't long before Billy had pulled Steve's pants down far enough to get his cock out too. They jerked each other off together. Steve moved from kissing Billy's mouth to kissing his neck and his ear. He sucked on Billy's pierced earlobe, the ring there clinking against his teeth. Billy sucked on Steve's neck in return, and moved to suck on his collarbone. He pushed Steve back far enough that he could reach his nipples with his mouth. He sucked on one of them. Steve instantly moved to the verge of an orgasm. He was so weak to it. Brad had never figured out just _how_ weak. He probably had never cared to. Billy gauged Steve's reaction, and moved to the other nipple. He sucked, and gently bit, and Steve was losing his mind. He forgot to move the hand he had on Billy's cock, so Billy took over the jerking for both of them. Steve reached down and started playing with Billy's nipples, and judging by the reaction he was weak to it too. They both panted and moaned. Steve felt the familiar tension in his groin wind up to the snapping point, and one more bite on his nipple from Billy sent him over the edge. He shuddered uncontrollably as he came, his breath pushed out of him like he'd hit the ground after a fall. He held on to both sides of Billy's neck, as if to ground himself. God, it felt like everything he had needed, and then some. Right as he slumped forward against Billy he felt the other man come under him. He shuddered too, but not as violently as Steve had. Billy moaned loudly, surprisingly so, then he went limp; his hands dropping down to the seat of the couch. 

After a while Steve got off Billy and sat next to him on the couch, still with his cock out. Billy also made no move to straighten his clothes, or tuck himself in. Steve leaned forward just enough to refill and grab their glasses. He handed one to Billy, who took it with a quick smile.   
“You know, Harrington, this was absolutely not what I expected to happen tonight.”  
“No?” Steve smiled to himself. “I thought that was why you invited me here.”  
“I hoped, in that 'I might win the lottery' kind of way, where you know it's never going to happen, but it's nice to imagine anyway.” Billy shrugged. Steve couldn't see it, but he felt it. They were that close.   
“Win the lottery, huh?”  
“Right now that's what it fucking feels like.”  
“It's Steve, by the way.” Steve leaned forward again, and grabbed the bowl of chips. He put it so it rested between their thighs, half on Steve's and half on Billy's. “I've had your dick in my hand, I'm not going to call you Hargrove.”  
“You haven't called me Hargrove all night.” Billy took a handful of chips.   
“Did it bother you?”  
“I liked it.” He nudged Steve gently with his shoulder. “I'll like calling you Steve too.”  
“Good.” 

They drank more of their alcohol, then Billy went to the bathroom to get himself in order. As soon as he came out, Steve went in to do the same. The aftermath of the impromptu jacking off session was surprisingly comfortable. He sat down close enough to Billy to touch. They drank and watched the silent TV in silence for some time; neither making the move to un-mute it. Billy turned his head just barely enough to look at Steve.   
“So, this more than friends thing...”  
“Fuck, I don't know, Billy,” Steve said in something that came close to being a whine, but not quite. “I'm fucked up, and I don't want to promise anything I might fuck up later.” He touched Billy's arm. “You know, in a way we only just fucking met.”  
“Sure, okay,” Billy said, and nodded. “Look, I work the late shift at the diner tomorrow. If you need something to do, come over and hang out. It's not like it'll be teeming with people late Christmas Eve.”  
“Oh shit, I forgot that's tomorrow.” Steve hid his face in his hands. “I haven't bought a single goddamn present for anyone. I wasn't planning on going home this year.”   
“Get them gift cards for pie at the RR Diner,” Billy said, in a tone that said he was being clever, and funny.   
“Asshole,” Steve giggled. “Do you even have that?”  
“No, but I'm sure the boss will be on board with it if you're willing to buy a lot of them. And you know like half the kids in Hawkins. The RR pie is legendary.”   
“Fuck it, I might actually do that,” Steve said, and turned to face Billy better again.   
“If you do, make sure you come with them,” Billy said with a grin, “on days I work, around my break time.”   
“If I come with them then I won't need to buy gift cards.” Steve gave him a pointed look.  
“Make them a pretty card saying 'I'll buy you pie at RR' then.”   
“I'm actually sure the kids would love that, so I'm like 90% sure I'll do exactly what you just suggested.”  
“Including coming when I'm on break?” Billy looked at him hopefully.   
“Maybe. You'll have to tell me when your break time is.” Steve smiled at him. The current Christmas special ended, and Steve realized what time it was. “Shit, I should probably go.” He got to his feet, and quickly realized he was quite a bit more drunk than he'd been aware of. He almost fell back onto the couch. Billy took hold of his arm and tugged until he sat back down.   
“You all right there, champ?”  
“Fine. Just more drunk than I thought,” Steve said, and only just now noticed how little was left of the Jack Daniels. They'd been drinking more than he'd realized. “Shit, I don't know how to get home now. I don't want to drive like this.”  
“You can crash here.” Billy pointed to his bed, and lifted an eyebrow.   
“That might be a bad idea.”  
“Only if you make it a bad idea,” Billy said. Steve noticed there was more than a slight slur to his words. Billy was drunk too. “One of us can crash on the couch, if you're worried I'll grope you in the night.”   
“I'm worried I won't mind you groping me in the night,” Steve said with a wry smile, “and fucking you is something I shouldn't be doing with my head where it is.”   
“Why?” Billy asked with a pointed shrug. “I'm a big boy. I can deal with you not sticking around after a fuck.”   
“I'm not sure I can. I told you, I'm fucked up.”  
“Yeah, but you haven't told me why.”  
“I know,” Steve sighed. “Maybe I will tomorrow.”   
“Does that mean you're gonna come to the diner?” Billy asked, with a cute upward inflection that sounded hopeful.   
“I might,” Steve said with a smile. “Depends on what my parents have planned. My mom wants to have breakfast tomorrow, but I don't know anything else about their plans, for me or them. They didn't know I was coming.”   
“So you just up and left the city with no notice?” Billy raised an eyebrow.   
“Yeah.”  
“Did you break up with your boyfriend and decide to skip town to avoid him for the holidays?” He looked like he was sure he was right.   
“Dude.” Steve held up a hand. “Tomorrow. Or the day after or something.”   
“Okay okay. But seriously, crash here and bounce early so you get home in time for breakfast. You just need to stay long enough to not be too drunk to drive.” He paused and looked at the bed. “Though...”  
“What?” Steve said, with thinly veiled impatience.   
“I don't have a spare blanket,” Billy said sheepishly.   
“Then I know what to get you for Christmas,” Steve said with mild exasperation. “How can you not have a spare blanket?”  
“Hey, when I have guests they spend the night in my bed, with me.” He held up his hands in defense. “That offer still stands, by the way. No groping.”   
“You have a lot of guests, do you?” Steve asked, to distract from giving an answer to the offer. He really wanted to stay, and sleep next to Billy. Hell, even fuck Billy. He knew he shouldn't, and wouldn't, but he would be lying if he said he didn't want to.   
“Naw, only when I want a distraction,” Billy shrugged.   
“From what?”   
“Thinking about you.” He smiled and winked.   
Steve gave him a look, even though his stomach was tingling.   
“No, seriously,” Billy defended. “Half the time I've fucked someone since I got to Hawkins it's been because I actually wanted to fuck you, but you weren't available.”  
“Dude,” Steve said, and hoped the word conveyed his want for Billy to shut up.  
“No, dude, you don't get just how big a crush I've had on you, since like 3 days after I moved to Hawkins.” He stopped, then grinned. “You rocked my world.”   
“You are fucking weird tonight.” Steve finished his drink, even though he knew he definitely shouldn't be drinking more tonight.   
“I am fucking pissed out of my skull tonight,” Billy slurred, as if to prove it, and finished off his current glass of alcohol too. “I'm telling you all this because I'm probably not going to remember shit tomorrow. On the upside, for you and your mind in whatever place it's in, I'm probably too drunk to get it up right now.”  
“I might remember.”  
“Not my problem,” Billy said with a shrug and a cheeky grin.  
“Even with a crush, you're still an asshole.”  
“Always.” 

Billy reached out a hand and touched Steve's face.   
“You really are fucking hot, pretty boy.”  
“What happened to no groping?”  
“I'm not groping, I'm touching. There's a difference.” He didn't remove his hand. Instead he ran a thumb along Steve's jaw. “I've never had anything close to as hard a crush as I've had on you. Still have. Even while you were gone it didn't go away.”  
“Isn't that called being in love? Like, a step up from a crush?”  
“Yeah, I guess it is,” Billy shrugged, and moved the thumb up to run along Steve's bottom lip. “So, I guess I am hopelessly in love with you, you fucking prick.”  
“Is it even possible for you to give a compliment without being rude about it?” Steve asked in a way that was meant to convey he wanted to roll his eyes.   
“I don't know. I haven't tried it.” Billy shrugged.   
Steve looked at Billy. Properly looked, or as properly as he was able to with his head swimming in alcohol. The glazed drunk look in his eyes, the slight flush to his cheeks. Those ridiculously full long eyelashes. The full lips, curling into a cheeky grin. He thought of his tendency to be rude, and an asshole. How fun he was turning out to be around. It would be so fucking easy to fall in love with this man. Steve didn't know if it was all Billy, or if it was a rebound thing. He didn't want it to be a rebound thing. He didn't want Brad to have that kind of control over his feelings.   
“Okay, I'll stay here until I'm more sober. But you sleep against the wall, so I can sneak out without waking you.”  
“Works for me.”   
Billy turned off the TV, and then they supported each other over to the bed. There was a light on over in the kitchen corner, but none of them could be assed turning it off. They dropped off their clothes where they fell and crawled into bed together.   
“I know I said no groping,” Billy said, and let it hang.   
“Have you changed your mind already?”  
“No, I'm just wondering if you'll let me hold you.”  
“Sure. Go ahead.”  
Billy wrapped an arm around Steve's midsection, and snuggled close up behind him. He made no move beyond that, and soon Steve was drifting off, feeling comfortable in a way he couldn't remember feeling with Brad for a long time. Maybe it was the alcohol, but maybe it was just Billy. He really wanted it to be the latter.


	3. Chapter 3

Christmas Eve at the RR Diner was not an interesting day. Billy was cleaning places he didn't normally clean, because there wasn't much else to do. He'd cooked 2 meals in the last hour. He kept waiting and hoping Steve would show up, but it was 7pm now, and the guy was probably having a lovely dinner with his parents. Billy was working until 11pm. The boss had offered to give him the evening off, but he'd rather have the money than the time off. He was happy she _let_ him work on such a slow night. The boss was off having a nice evening with her family. He was okay with this. The only two people at the diner were Billy and a server named Carol. Billy didn't like Carol. She was an annoying bitch who whined whenever she had to do actual work, but sucked up to the boss whenever she was near. She didn't like Billy either, because he was an asshole, and he liked giving her shit for being lazy and a kiss-ass. So, instead of chatting the evening away, she was reading magazines at the front, while he was cleaning the kitchen. He'd suggested she clean out front, but she'd just ignored him. Not his problem. He was cleaning for his own benefit, and for the other cook, Sean. 

Half an hour later he decided to have a smoke, and went out the back door to have it outside. It wasn't break time, but it wasn't like anyone was waiting for food. He wished he'd told Steve when he was expected to be on a break, but he'd been too drunk to think of it the night before, and Steve had left quietly while Billy was asleep. He still couldn't quite believe what had happened. He'd wanted to kiss Steve for so fucking long. Even when he hadn't seen him for months, the want hadn't gone away. He'd thought about him on a daily basis the whole time he'd been gone, and had jerked off to thoughts of him and his body so many times it was fucking embarrassing. Billy was, beyond a doubt, head over fucking heels for Steve fucking Harrington. He hadn't realized how bad he had it until Steve was suddenly gone from Hawkins. Off to the city, indefinitely. He'd felt the lack of Steve so hard it was physical. It was disturbing how much one person could affect someone. Billy had never experienced anything remotely like it, and it had made him rethink just about everything he though he was doing with his life. It had changed him, in ways one person shouldn't be able to change someone else, especially without even being there, or knowing anything about it. Billy had never even heard of this kind of stupid shit other than in stupid movies he didn't even like watching. And all because Steve had been such a tough prick when Billy had arrived in Hawkins. 

Billy had not been used to anyone standing up to him. He'd shut down anyone who'd tried since he was 13. Steve had not let himself be shut down. Steve had given Billy a big fat “fuck you” and kept standing. Repeatedly. Every time Billy tried to get him to back up, Steve stood his ground. Every time. Even after the monumental beating he'd taken, when Billy had fucking lost it completely, he'd gotten right back up and gone right back to telling Billy to fuck off. When Billy had woken up that time he'd been alone in the house; drugged out of his gourd. He didn't remember how he'd gotten home that night, but he did remember a beat up Steve the next time they met, being as completely in his face as before, like nothing had changed. That was when Billy's low grade crush had flared into something much more. Something that had clearly erased whatever sense he'd had, and brains, because he'd become a dumb shit around the guy, and still was. Something that had made him do something as stupid as ask Steve to come home to his place after not seeing him for almost a year. Considering the consequences of that particular stupid, he would be lying if he said he wished he'd been smarter about it. Holy shit, he'd actually, finally, impossibly, kissed Steve fucking Harrington. No, correction, he'd been on the receiving end of that kissing. He'd _been_ kissed by Steve fucking Harrington, which was even more holy shit. Billy put out his cigarette, took a moment to push away the worst of the fucking butterflies that thinking of Steve and last night had released into his gut, and went back inside. 

When Billy got back in he heard voices from out front. A male voice talking to Carol. Billy's stomach did some very annoying flips, thinking it must be Steve who'd finally shown up. Billy's brain tried to be more sensible about it than his stomach, because the voice sounded deeper than Steve's, but he was still way too excited when he looked out the door into the restaurant. Disappointment hit him hard when he saw it was just some dude he'd never seen before. What kind of asshole came to a diner at this time of the evening on Christmas Eve? Billy listened at the door, and heard the guy say something about coming in from the city to make a surprise visit to someone important. Carol sounded like she already had a crush on the dude. Billy took a moment to look the guy over properly. He wasn't bad looking. Longish blond hair, muscled and broad shouldered, leather jacket over a t-shirt. His face was handsome too. Carol was probably drooling. Billy went to see if there was a food order in from the guy. There was. Carol, of course, hadn't even bothered to check if Billy was there when she put it in. Plain burger and fries, boring, but easy to make. Billy got to it, and used it as an excuse to ignore the disappointment that it hadn't been Steve. 

When the order was done he dinged a bell to let Carol know it was ready to serve. He had plenty of time to take it out himself, but serving was her fucking job. She gave him a grumpy look when she came to pick up the plate, but he ignored her and went back to cleaning. There wasn't much left to clean now, except the shit you couldn't get to without shutting everything down and moving heavy appliances. That shit could wait for later. He was drying his hands and pondering another smoke when he heard the bell saying someone had entered the diner. He wanted to be fucking sensible, but instead he rushed to the door to see who had come in. His stomach did a happy little somersault when he saw Steve standing by the door, looking around the diner. He was about to step out to say hi, when he saw Steve freeze in place, with a look of almost fear on his face. The guy at the counter had turned on his seat, and they now faced each other.   
“Hi, Steve. Fancy meeting you at a place like this on Christmas Eve.”  
For a second Billy thought Steve was going to turn around and leave, but that familiar look of cold steel came out on his face, and he stepped toward the guy instead.   
“The fuck are you doing here, Brad?”   
“Well, _someone_ I know just up and fucking left right before Christmas. In the middle of the night, like a coward. I came to see what the fuck he thought he was doing.”   
“Yeah, good fucking luck with that,” Steve replied, almost falling into a mumble, and went to a stool at the counter near the door to the kitchen. He turned to Carol. “Could I have a cup of coffee, and a slice of cherry pie, please?”  
“Sure, coming right up,” Carol said, with a disturbing amount of cheer in her voice.   
Billy decided it was time to step out and announce his presence. If something was going to go down between Steve and the guy tonight, Billy was going to fucking be there to back Steve up. That look on Steve's face when he'd seen the guy told Billy there was something there Steve didn't want to deal with. Was it pathetic that he'd watched Steve's face enough that he could tell this shit? Fuck. Billy opened the door and went over to where Steve was sitting.   
“Hey there, Harrington. Merry fucking Christmas.”   
“Merry fucking Christmas, Hargrove.” Steve scoffed, but smiled. “Did you forget that much?”  
“I didn't forget enough, because apparently alcohol makes me admit stupid shit I shouldn't be admitting.”   
Steve's smile widened, and Billy's stomach did things again. Carol brought coffee and pie, neither of which required any work from Billy.  
“I don't know, Hargrove. I kind of liked those admissions. Who knew you were as flawed as the rest of us?”  
“Fuck you,” Billy smiled. This easy conversation with Steve made him happier than he probably should get from something this normal. Only, it wasn't normal. Not for them. 

The guy came over and sat down hard next to Steve, obviously intending to be noticed in a big way.   
“I'm not done talking to you.”  
“Fuck off, Brad,” Steve said calmly. “I told you everything you needed to know in the note.”  
“A fucking note.” Brad leaned in close to Steve as if to talk in his ear, but he hissed it loudly enough that Billy could hear it. “You think I'm going to let you break up with me with a fucking note, you little bitch?”  
“Fuck. Off.” Steve bit off the words.   
Brad grabbed Steve's arm, and Billy calmly placed a hand on the counter in front of Brad and leaned down close to his face. He spoke softly.  
“Which part of 'fuck off' was too difficult for you to understand, buddy?”  
“This is none of your business.”  
“I don't give a shit whose business it is. Steve's my friend, and he told you to fuck off, so hop to it.”   
Brad got up so he could glare more at eye level. He glanced down at Steve for just a second.   
“Is this why you left? Some fucking bitch fast food cook in the middle of bitch-ass nowhere?”   
“Every time you say 'bitch' it gets more annoying,” Billy said, still calm.   
“What are you going to do about it, bitch?”   
Steve got up and looked about to do something, but Billy stopped him. Billy looked away from Brad, and pointedly ignored him in favor of Steve.  
“You remember that time when I beat the shit out of you, Harrington?”  
“How could I forget?” Steve asked. He looked confused by Billy's change of subject.   
“This guy doesn't happen to have a spiked baseball bat, does he?” Billy made a nod at Brad, without looking at him.   
“No, but I still have mine,” Steve said, with a look of mischief blooming in his eyes. Billy found it intensely attractive. “Why, you need it?”  
“Just want to make sure some little shit doesn't do a cheap swing at my nuts this time.”   
“What? You're going to save me now, like some fucking hero?” Steve's mischief turned to anger in a flash. Billy had fucked up, it seemed. Bigtime. “Fuck off, Hargrove. I fight my own battles.”  
“Then how about you fucking fight it, then?” Billy asked and held out a hand to indicate the asshole who was clearly fishing for an ass-kicking.   
“It's Christmas Eve, asshole,” Steve countered. “I don't want to go home with bloodied knuckles.”  
“Then crash at my place.” 

Brad chose this moment to grab Steve's arm again, and yank him away from the counter, toward the door. Billy was about to just flat out hop the counter to get at him, when Steve took matters in his own hands. He jerked free from Brad's grip, took a small step back, and laid in with a right hook Billy remembered being on the receiving end of. It was a fucking brutal punch, that had imprinted on Billy immediately that the nickname King Steve had little to do with money. Brad hit the floor like a dropped Tonka truck, rolling around, holding his face. The guy's muscles were clearly just for show, because he sure as fuck hadn't been in enough fights to know how to take a beating. Steve leaned down to speak to Brad, surprisingly calmly.  
“I told you everything you need to know. I don't give a shit about your pride or whatever. You think I don't have ears? I heard you talk to Frederick. I am so fucking done with you, you have no idea. Go home, and leave me the fuck alone.”   
“I'm going to fucking kill you, you bitch.” Brad scrambled his way back to his feet.   
Billy stopped Carol from calling the cops, then walked to stand between Brad and Steve. He held up a calming hand to Steve, but addressed Brad.   
“Dude, look at the guy you're yelling at. See how he's standing? He's ready to kick the shit out of you, and he won't even break a sweat doing it. I know this from experience. I don't know what kind of soft side he's been showing you, but the guy's a fucking brawler. You don't stand a chance. Go home, and enjoy your fucking Christmas.”   
Brad held the side of his face, where a bruise was already starting to form. He was going to have a hell of a shiner come morning. He was furious, but also looked like he believed Billy when he said Steve was a brawler. He drew himself up, and backed toward the door, while glaring at Steve.   
“I wonder what people in your home town will think when they find out you're a faggot.”  
“Dude, we already know,” Billy lied. “We've known for years. No one's even going to be surprised.” Billy threw a quick glance at Carol, to warn her to keep her goddamn mouth shut. “It's the 80's, man. No one's even worried about that shit anymore.”  
Brad looked stunned. Apparently this wasn't at all the kind of reaction he'd expected to the threat. Steve slowly walked past Billy and stood in front of Brad. He spoke in a tired voice.   
“It's over, Brad. Just go home. It's not like you ever actually loved me, and you should know I'd never call my dad to get money, no matter how broke I am.”  
Billy wasn't able to hold back a laugh. Both Steve and Brad looked at him. Billy looked at Brad.   
“Dude, I've never even been friends with Steve, and even I know his fucking pride would stop him from asking people for help, especially with money, and especially his fucking dad. Do you even know him?”   
“Clearly not,” Steve scoffed. He looked at Brad, then Billy, and then Carol. “Fuck everything. I want my coffee.” And with that he went back to his seat.   
Brad and Billy looked at each other for a few seconds, and then Brad held up a threatening finger that didn't look threatening, and left. 

Billy went over and sat down next to Steve at the counter.   
“You all right?”  
“Yeah, I'm fine,” he said. He turned to Billy with a small smile. “Brawler, huh?”  
Billy grinned and shrugged.   
“So, anyway, yeah, you were right,” Steve said.  
“About what?” Billy leaned his chin on his hand and gave Steve his undivided attention.   
“I ditched my boyfriend and fled the city.” He shrugged half-heartedly.   
“Yeah, I figured.”  
Carol came over and refilled Steve's cup. She lingered.   
“It's okay, you know,” she said.  
“What is?” Steve asked.   
“The gay thing? I'm not gonna tell anyone.” She smiled. “My cousin's gay, and I know how hard it can be.”  
“Thanks,” Steve smiled back at her.  
For the first time since they met, Billy liked Carol. Just a little, and probably only until the next time she whined or slacked off, but right now she was cool.   
“He seemed so nice,” she sighed.   
“Yeah, he's good at that,” Steve sighed along with her. It was like they were fucking bonding, and Billy wasn't sure he liked that.   
“Total asshole, though,” she continued.   
“Not as bad as this asshole,” Steve said with a grin and a nod in Billy's direction, “but in a less honest way.”  
Carol grinned too.   
“I am nothing if not honest,” Billy said solemnly. “Unless I feel like lying, that is.”  
“Dick,” Steve said and winked.   
Billy got up. “Smoke?” he asked, by way of invitation. “You can bring the coffee.”  
“Sure. Sounds good.”  
Billy looked at Carol in a 'help me out' kind of way.   
“I'll hold down the fort,” she said, “but if someone wants food I'm totally calling for you.”  
“Deal,” Billy said. 

They went out back so they could smoke in peace. The first few drags none of them spoke. Eventually, Steve sighed.   
“I feel like such a moron.”  
“Why?”   
“It was too easy,” he said. “The thing with Brad. Not now, but when we met and got together.”  
“Not everything has to be hard. Not that I'd know anything about that.”  
“I think I was living a fantasy, in a way.” Steve leaned against the wall and blew smoke up into the night sky. “It didn't hit me that Brad started showing interest in me only after I drunkenly admitted my dad has a lot of money. And I may have exaggerated how much money he has, to look cool. Idiot.”  
“I'll agree that's not smart,” Billy said. “Why'd you want to look cool? Dude, until I showed up you were considered the coolest dude in town.”  
“Fuck you for stealing that from me, by the way. I'm a dork now.”  
“That is not my fucking fault.” Billy held up a lecturing finger. “Blame that on my stepsister and the bratlings. If you hang out with nerds, man.”  
Steve scoffed. They finished their cigarettes, but didn't go back in. Billy wanted to stay out there with Steve a little longer. As long as he could get away with. 

“Does that make me a rebound?” Billy asked after a moment, actually hoping he was. If he was a rebound it would mean more than just jacking off once while drunk.   
“God, I hope not.”   
“I'd be okay with that, by the way,” Billy said, trying to sound casual. He didn't like how disappointed he was with Steve's reaction, even though it could mean more than one thing.   
“You're weird sober too,” Steve said with a smile.  
“It's your fucking fault. I'm not like this around other people.”   
“What the hell is so special about me anyway?” he asked, looking somewhere between curious and disbelieving.   
“I dunno,” Billy answered with just a slight upward tilt to one shoulder. “You never back away from anything.”  
“I think that's a flaw,” Steve said with a small smiled and a wink.   
“I'm like one big flaw all around. Having a couple of interesting flaws would be an improvement.”  
“I don't think you're as flawed as you think you are.” Steve got serious, and looked at Billy in a way that made his stomach do that tingly thing again.   
“Tell that to my dad,” Billy said, and hoped it didn't sound whiny. He hated whiny.   
Steve stepped right in front of Billy and looked at him.   
“When I say I hope you're not a rebound, it's because I'd like to think this is better, even though it's extremely new, and maybe stupid, and that Brad hasn't fucked me up enough that I _need_ a rebound.”   
“Does that mean what happened last night might happen again?”  
“I think it means I haven't learned a damned thing, and am about to be an idiot again. But I think you're going to be a lot more fun than Brad was.”  
Steve stepped forward and kissed him. They were both sober, and whoa, holy shit. Billy kissed him back with enthusiasm. This was a chance he didn't want to let pass. He could have Steve. He could have him as more than a rival. As more than a friend. More even than fooling around when drunk. Holy shit, this was the best Christmas ever.


	4. Chapter 4

It was New Year's Eve, and Billy was excited as hell. He wouldn't admit to this excitement, but it felt like half his body had been taken over by butterflies. It was Steve Harrington's fault, of course. Steve fucking Harrington, who had agreed to have a date on New Year's Eve, with Billy, first at the diner for pie, because Steve was now claiming addiction to it, and then back to Billy's apartment. He was going to spend fucking New Year's Eve with Steve, at home, just the two of them. As a fucking date. It was insane. That kiss at the back of the diner had started something awesome, that Billy had never thought he would have. They hadn't talked about it, but it was starting to feel like Steve was his boyfriend. They'd been hanging out and getting to know each other better over the last week, daily, and the more time he spent with Steve the more he liked him. They'd been hanging out with girls, a little to often for Billy's taste, to act as was expected of normal young men, and to make it look less weird that Billy and Steve were suddenly buddies. Billy had learned two things during the week. More than two, but two stood out. The first was that Steve was really fun to hang out with, in a dorky kind of way. The second was that he was even more stupidly in love with Steve that he had first thought. It was almost disgusting how weak he was for the man. If he could he would just spend all his time in physical contact with him; touching him, and holding him, and kissing him senseless at every chance. He was like a teenage girl meeting a rock star. It was embarrassing, but it was apparently his life now. On the upside, Steve was not averse to kissing Billy, at all. They'd made out a few times, and jerked each other off a couple more times. They hadn't done anything more. Billy was okay with this. He didn't want to push Steve into anything. He was fucking thrilled he got to be with him at all, in any way. He didn't have to stay away and hide how he felt, and deny it. He could hold Steve's hand, and kiss him when they were alone, and it was fucking amazing. Stupid teenage fucking idiocy, but so damn good when he got to indulge in it. Fucking Steve Harrington. 

They were meeting at the diner, because showing up or leaving in the same car would be weird. Billy spent much too long getting ready. Not long enough to be late, but long enough for it to be embarrassing. He'd even anticipated it and started early. Fucking idiot. Acting like some damned teenage girl going on her first date. What he didn't want to admit was that he felt that way too. Fuck. He got in the car and resisted the urge to check himself in the mirror before leaving, and then again when he arrived at the diner. He wouldn't be caught dead looking at himself in the rear view mirror, like a chick checking her makeup. He got out of the car, and walked straight into the diner. No hesitation. He found Steve sitting in a booth, looking gorgeous. Billy went over and sat down opposite him. Steve smiled brightly when he saw him, and it made Billy's stomach do a little jump.  
“Hey asshole,” Steve said and pointedly checked out Billy's appearance. “Looking good.”  
“So are you,” Billy said, and then added in a lower voice “pretty boy.”  
Steve grinned cheekily in response. The owner, Peggy, came over with a pot of coffee and two cups in her hands. She poured them both a cup.  
“Can't stay away, huh, Billy?”  
“Gotta have that pie,” Billy said with a grin.  
“Which one do you want?”  
“I'll take a slice each of cherry, blueberry, and apple pecan, please,” Steve said with an innocent smile.  
Peggy grinned as she noted down the order. Billy ordered one slice of cherry pie. She left them to go get the pie.  
“You sure you got enough pie there, Steve?”  
“Nope. I might need more. I'm trying to decide which is my favorite.”  
“There's a strawberry rhubarb pie Sean makes in summer that leaves all the other pies in the gutter, but it's a summer special only.”  
“Damn it.” Steve hung his head dramatically.  
It was so cute, Billy just wanted to kiss him. Though, truth be told, Billy always wanted to kiss him. It was like a chronic condition. Peggy came over with the pie, on three separate plates for Steve, then she winked at Billy and left them. Billy wondered what the hell the wink was for, but had no intention of asking. 

They ate their pie, and talked about random things. Steve said he might want to start playing Dungeons & Dragons. Billy informed him that would take him from dork territory and into full blown nerd-dom. Then they spent probably too long discussing the various differences between nerd, dweeb, geek, and dork. It was such a stupid conversation, and Billy loved every moment of it. He'd never have a conversation remotely like this with anyone else. Not that conversations he had with other people were fake, or that he pretended to be interested in things he wasn't. It was just that Steve was different. He was the perfect combination of tough and dorky. Billy was just a stereotypical asshole badass with anger management issues. Or, he had been, until Steve had made him rethink his life, by leaving. And here they were, having pie, on a date no one else knew was a date. Steve was almost done with his second slice when a loud group of people came rolling through the doors. Billy didn't even need to look to see who it was. Steve's ducklings. It took about six seconds for one of them to spot Steve, and soon their table was set upon by people Billy didn't want to meet. Fucking typical. Steve looked at Billy apologetically. Billy just shrugged in response. It wasn't Steve's fault the brats had shown up. There were several questions about what Steve and Billy were doing sitting together, none of which they answered directly. Before long their table was full of people and food, and the ones that couldn't fit were hanging over the back of the next booth over to join in. Billy calmly drank his coffee, and rubbed his leg against Steve's leg suggestively under the table. Steve froze for a moment, but quickly caught on. Billy spent the next half hour listening to the rowdy conversation around him, drinking coffee, and secretly flirting with Steve via their legs and feet. He wanted to tell them all to fuck off, but he didn't want to be too rude to people Steve clearly liked. It would ruin the mood. Every time Peggy came over to serve or refill something she gave Billy a pitying look, with great amusement written all over her face. He wondered suddenly if the looks were because of the kids all around him, or because she'd figured out it was supposed to be a date. He hoped it wasn't the second option, because he didn't want people knowing he wasn't straight. Carol knew about Steve, and had kept her mouth shut as far as he knew, but she didn't know about him, and he wanted to keep it that way. It was easier that way. 

Another damned hour, and about six full pies later, the bratlings decided it was time to go off to do whatever it was they were planning on doing for New Year's Eve. Play Dungeons and Dragons maybe, or watch some nerdy cartoon. They'd talked about enough of them during the conversation. As much as he was annoyed at them showing up, he could maybe see why Steve liked them. Billy could happily not be friends with them, ever, but he could see the appeal for Steve. It was like having a million younger siblings he could be a role model for, and help out, and Steve was an only child. Billy had plenty with one younger sibling. He wasn't keen on spending more time with her than was absolutely necessary. He'd overdosed on kids today, and didn't want to see any of them again, until at least February. If he kept spending time with Steve he'd inevitably run into them, possibly frequently, but that particular cost was worth it if he got to spend time with Steve. And, no kids at his apartment tonight. It would be only him and Steve, alone, enjoying each other's company.  
“Steve?”  
“Yeah?”  
“Let's go to my place.”  
“Sure,” Steve smiled. “I'm just gonna get some pie to go.”  
“Are you fucking kidding me?” Billy rolled his eyes demonstratively. “Jesus Christ, how much pie have you had?”  
“Fuck off,” Steve replied calmly, and flipped him off. “It's New Year's Eve.”  
“You're gonna gain weight.” Billy resisted the urge to lean over and poke at Steve's stomach, but only barely.  
“I am not, and besides, I wouldn't care.” He smiled fake serenely and shrugged.  
“What if I care?” Billy asked while crossing his arms.  
“Then fuck you,” Steve answered amicably, and flipped him off again.  
“Don't worry, I wouldn't care,” Billy grinned. “If you shave your head, on the other hand...”  
Steve snorted, and got up. Billy handed Steve money for his food, because he didn't want to be poked fun at by a certain employer, waved to said employer, and went out to his car. Steve would come when he was ready, and leaving separately looked better. 

When he got back to his apartment, Billy got some things ready for their evening. He had some champagne he'd managed to get his hands on. Not fancy stuff, but not bad either. He had food he could make, but Steve had just consumed a metric ton of pie, and was bringing some too, so that wasn't exactly necessary. Billy could think of a couple of other things they could do with pie. Maybe he should suggest something when Steve showed up. He probably wouldn't. He was afraid to risk doing something to fuck up this chance to have a fucking awesome New Year's Eve, with the guy he'd been in love with forever. He'd bought lots of fireworks, just in case Steve wanted to go out to fire some up for fun. Given a choice between firing up rockets outside and being inside in physical contact with Steve, Billy easily knew which one he'd choose, but he'd leave it up to Steve. He'd make suggestions to Steve as to what they should do, because he wasn't a damn pushover, but he'd leave the decision making up to him. He would dutifully remind Steve of the fact they couldn't kiss at midnight if they were outside. He might also hint that he had condoms and lube easily available, but he'd make the decision on that when he knew more about how Steve might react to it. They hadn't talked about sex. They'd just done stuff when they felt like it. Billy was so ready to have full on sex with Steve, but he wasn't just going to come out and say that. He had pride. 

A knock on the door announced Steve's arrival. Billy opened the door and gave him his best seductive grin. Steve grinned back and ran a hand along Billy's hip as he walked past him. This easy touching was fucking awesome, and not something Billy was used to. He generally didn't stay with the same person long enough for casual touching to be a thing. With Steve it had become the norm surprisingly quickly. After like two days Steve had started touching Billy randomly, like it was the most natural thing in the world. Billy made an effort to touch him back. It didn't feel as natural to him yet, but he was getting there. He liked touching Steve in non-sexual ways. The sexual ways were awesome too, but it was nice to touch just for the sake of simple physical contact. They sat down on the couch together, and about four seconds later Steve climbed on top of him and kissed him. They made out for a long time, before Steve pulled back and looked at him.  
“I've wanted to do that all day,” he said with a smile, and a short kiss.  
“Me too,” Billy said, still slightly dazed by the intensity of Steve when he wanted something. “I wanted to do it before even seeing you at the diner, but even more after.”  
Steve sat back, but didn't get off Billy.  
“Do you have any special plans for us for the New Year's celebration?”  
“Not really,” Billy shrugged. “I have champagne. Do you have any plans?”  
“Uh, you.” He smiled and bit his lip.  
“Me?” Billy asked, and leaned up to signal that he wanted a kiss. Steve obliged immediately.  
“Mhm. I want to spend the whole evening just enjoying you.”  
“I assume you mean physically.”  
“Not only,” Steve said and slowly shook his head. “I feel like I don't know enough about you. Tell me about you.”  
Billy was slightly taken aback. He generally didn't talk about himself. There wasn't much to say. He was an asshole with anger issues, and that was about it. He didn't want to disappoint Steve, but he couldn't think of anything to say.  
“What do you want to know?”  
“I don't know. Whatever comes to mind.”  
After some thinking, Billy decided to tell Steve about California, and a little bit about his mom. He didn't talk about her a lot, because he was still fucking bitter she'd left him behind when she left his dad, and he didn't want Steve to know that. It might fuck his mood. While he was talking, Steve got off him, but sat right next to him on the couch, always in physical contact. Right now he was playing idly with the hair on the back of Billy's head with one hand, and holding one of Billy's hands with the other. If Billy had known earlier how affectionate the guy was he'd probably gone from hopelessly to desperately in love ages ago. Billy hadn't even known how cool he was with this kind of affection, because it wasn't something he ever engaged in. There was just something about Steve's behavior and demeanor that made it cool. 

They talked for a long time, taking turns telling each other about themselves. Everything from past mistakes to favorite movies. Billy enjoyed it a lot. He liked learning new things about Steve, and he was surprisingly okay with telling Steve about himself. Steve had terrible taste in movies, and didn't really read for fun. Billy liked reading more than he liked admitting to it. He had a library card only the librarian knew about, and she had the courtesy to not say anything about it, to him or anyone else. He didn't use it much, but sometimes he got an itch. A remnant from his mom that his dad had almost, but not quite, beaten out of him. He admitted to Steve that he liked to read. Steve immediately wanted to know his favorite book. Billy couldn't think of any one favorite, but he had a thing for dystopian books. Steve suggested he find something less depressing to read. Billy in turn made a snarky comment about Steve's like of comedy. Steve pulled him in for a kiss and admitted he had a thing for romance movies too, but that real romance was way better. Billy grinned into the kiss, but said nothing. Steve pulled back and grinned too.  
“I'd say this whole situation is like a rom-com, but Brad isn't funny.”  
“I dunno, the way you decked him was pretty funny,” Billy said.  
“Yeah, that was pretty good, wasn't it?” Steve grinned again.  
“King Steve.”  
“I haven't been King Steve in a long time. I'm okay with just being Steve.”  
“I'm okay with you just being Steve too.”  
“Good,” Steve murmured, and kissed him again. “I'm okay with you just being Billy.”  
“Mm,” Billy hummed.  
The kiss took over, and they forgot all about talking for a while. 

This time they ended up with Billy straddling Steve, instead of the other way around; their hands already on skin. Billy found himself grinding against Steve, without memory of starting it. They were both hard, and Billy wanted more.  
“Steve?”  
“Hm?” Steve hummed in a dazed voice. His eyes were glazed with arousal. Billy knew the same arousal was just as apparent in his own eyes.  
“What do you say to taking this to my bed?” he asked, then hesitated before continuing, “with all it entails.”  
Steve looked at Billy closely, and ran his fingers along his jaw.  
“I can't believe I never saw just how goddamn gorgeous you are. I always found you hot, but you're so fucking beautiful too.”  
“No one has ever called me beautiful before,” Billy said, feeling oddly flattered by being called a word usually reserved for women.  
“Let's go to bed, Billy,” Steve said with a smile. “With all it entails.”  
Billy's stomach did an excited tilt that was noticeable enough that his breath hitched. Fuck, he was being ridiculous. 

Steve got up and offered a hand to Billy, who took it and let himself be led. They started undressing each other unhurriedly. Billy wanted to take his time. To enjoy Steve, and the fact he could do this with him now. Could touch and kiss, and not rush anything. No one was going anywhere. Nothing had to be hidden or held back. It was just the two of them here, and they had all night. When he revealed the skin on Steve's torso, he couldn't stop himself from leaning in to taste it. As he licked the warm salty skin, Steve carded his fingers through his hair, tugging lightly on the curls. It felt intimate somehow. They both made small sounds of pleasure. This calm and slow thing was arousing in a different way from what they'd done before. He loved everything they'd done together, but this was something else. This was... beautiful. It was the only word he could find for it. He blamed Steve's use of it earlier as the reason it was what he thought of. When he removed Steve's pants he kneeled down and kissed his hip, but didn't touch the erection jutting out toward him. Steve didn't verbally complain, but he squirmed a little. Billy smiled and stood back up so he could kiss him. They touched each other, but it wasn't groping. It was exploring. They kissed and touched, and Billy lost track of time. He lost track of everything except the man in front of him. 

After a while they got on the bed, without moving quickly, and without saying anything. It was just a silent agreement that it was time. Billy felt good in a way that wasn't about the physical pleasure he was feeling. It was about Steve, and what they were doing, and how close he felt to him right now. Close in a way he'd fantasized about many times, but had never thought he'd get. They lay down next to each other, still not rushing, but getting closer to wanting to change gears. Billy knew what he wanted, but he didn't yet know if it was something Steve would go along with, in spite of what they had said before going to the bed. Steve might have different plans for tonight. There was only one way to find out, wasn't there?  
“Steve?”  
“Yes?” Steve answered with a smile. He looked dazed and content.  
Billy had trouble finding the words to use to get the message through without sounding cheesy as fuck, or girly, or fucking gay. He shouldn't be opposed to sounding gay, but he was. It just sat wrong with his macho image.  
“How far do you want to go tonight?”  
“Interesting question.” Steve said mischievously. “I'm naked in bed with you, so I figured 'all the way' was implied.”  
“I don't want to overstep.”  
“You're not overstepping,” Steve said gently, and touched Billy's face with the same gentleness, before winking with the same mischief that had been there moments earlier. “There's just one thing we need to figure out before we get started.”  
“Who bottoms?” Billy asked with a grin. It was exactly what he'd wanted to know Steve's opinion on.  
“Yeah. I haven't really...”  
“Me,” Billy interrupted. He didn't know if Steve meant to say “though about it” or “done it before”, but he wanted it this way, so he was going for it, sounding gay be damned. He wasn't usually one to bottom, but he really fucking wanted to with Steve. He didn't know why, but he was running with it.  
“You sure?”  
“Very. Seriously.”  
Instead of saying anything more, Steve pulled him into a deep kiss that quickly turned demanding. 

Things changed now. They were both on board with what was about to happen, and they both wanted it. They still didn't rush, but they moved with more purpose. Steve coaxed Billy onto his back, then crawled down his body, licking, kissing, biting, and touching where he could reach. The biting surprised Billy, in a good way. It wasn't something he'd expected Steve to do. He gently bit Billy's nipple and tugged, while raking his nails down his sides. Billy's breath hitched as he made a sound close to a whimper. He would have been embarrassed by the noise, but it was Steve, so it was cool. Steve moved lower, first lavishing attention on Billy's stomach and navel, then his hips. Billy was squirming. He couldn't reach most of Steve by now, so he tangled his fingers in his hair. That soft, gorgeous, full hair. Steve hummed in what sounded like pleasure when Billy pulled on it softly. Steve settled between Billy's legs and lifted one of them. He kissed the inside of Billy's thigh and looked up at him.  
“How long's it been since you...” Steve let it trail off.  
“Not long enough that you need to worry about my well-being,” Billy answered the unfinished question. “Anything you do is fine.”  
“Anything?” Steve raised an eyebrow.  
“Now you're just making me curious.”  
“You don't need to be. I'm not very inventive.”  
“You don't need to be,” Billy repeated. “Just don't leave me hanging.”  
Steve blew hot air on Billy's cock. “I think you mean standing.”  
Billy made a small sound of agreement, because the burst of air temporarily removed his ability to find words. 

Seconds later Steve licked Billy's cock from root to tip, before sucking languidly on the head. Billy moaned and cursed in response. Fuck, so good. Steve wasn't hesitant in what he was doing. Everything he did was with calm confidence, and Billy was blown away. He sucked firmly, but not hard, and with even strokes. It slowly drove Billy insane, in the best possible way. When Steve had sucked enough that Billy felt the want to come coil in his spine, he stopped and looked up again.  
“We're going to need some lube, man.”  
“Fuck,” was all Billy said.  
He didn't want to move, but he wanted Steve to move even less, so he stretched until he reached the bedside drawer, and managed to open it without disturbing Steve's position too much. He took out lube and condoms, and handed them both to the other man. Steve smiled in thanks, and bent down to suck on Billy's dick again. Billy's head flopped back, and he looked at the ceiling as he gave himself over to the pleasure again. The ceiling quickly fell out of focus. Steve was really fucking good at this. A moment later Billy felt a slick finger slide between his legs and probe his entrance. He hadn't been entirely truthful to Steve. It had been a very long time since he'd had anything in him there. He wasn't worried it would hurt, so that part had been true, at least. His body hadn't forgotten, and even if anything did hurt it would be worth it. He had a feeling Steve would take his time to avoid causing him pain anyway. He was just that kind of guy. Billy just wondered if he would come in the meantime. Given the way Steve was using his mouth and hands it wasn't unlikely. The finger pushed inside, and Billy realized he'd been right. His body did remember. Remembered what to do, and how fucking good it would feel when the finger was replaced with something else. 

Steve took his time. He alternated between licking and sucking on and around Billy's dick, while moving one finger, then two, in and out of him. It became more and more apparent to Billy that he was going to come before they got any further, unless he did something. It took him a while to gather his awareness enough to find words, and by then he was even closer to coming.  
“Steve. I'm good, need more,” he said brokenly. “Please.”  
Steve didn't immediately withdraw his fingers, but he slowly moved back up Billy's body, kissing, licking, and biting, like he had on the way down. He only pulled his fingers out when he couldn't reach properly anymore. He licked a trail up Billy's neck, then kissed him. Billy could taste himself on Steve's tongue. He liked it, but it wasn't something he would admit to. Steve kissed him while he put on the condom. When it was on he sat back and looked at Billy, who was so fucking ready he was practically vibrating. Billy felt Steve's cock, in the right place, ready to enter. They looked at each other, then Steve ran a thumb along Billy's jaw again.  
“Beautiful,” he whispered, and pushed in.  
Billy's breath left him in a long low moan. It felt every bit as good as he had hoped. The slow filling, the connection, the friction and stretching. So fucking good. 

At first Steve's movements were even, measured, but it didn't take long for him to lose his calm. Especially not with Billy not exactly being a passive partner in this. He wrapped his legs around Steve's waist, to force him to move at the speed he wanted. Billy also had his arms around him, and purposefully scratched his back a little harder than was necessary. Soon Steve was moaning and cursing right along with him. Billy hadn't expected Steve to be this verbal. He fucking loved it. It was hot to hear him curse disjointedly as he moved, interspersed with words like “hot” and “gorgeous”. Billy was being fucking praised while he was being fucked, and damn if that wasn't a turn on. Billy pulled Steve down so they could kiss. It was wet and sloppy, and their similarity in height meant they couldn't reach properly, but it was awesome. They were both wet with sweat. It was dripping from Steve onto Billy's chest. Billy's sweat mingled with it, and he felt droplets trickle down his sides. They were both getting closer to coming. Billy moved to increase the pace, and Steve got the hint. He started pounding into him, hard, fast, and rough. They were both panting now. Billy's breath was ragged and uneven, and his moans uncontrolled. He was losing coordination, and soon ended up just holding onto Steve and letting him take control. Steve did not lose coordination. He kept it up, and even slammed into Billy harder and faster. This rough fucking was also not something Billy had expected from Steve, in spite of his old bad boy image. It was amazing, and everything he wanted from sex. 

Bangs, crackles, and screams erupted outside. Lights flashed through the curtained window, painting everything in a blitz of different colors. Steve's movements became a show of quick bursts, like a slideshow not quite fast enough to be a movie. It was fucking magical. Steve leaned down to whisper in Billy's ear.  
“Happy New Year, Billy. Now come for me.”  
Billy did. He hadn't known he was that close to an orgasm, but clearly he had been, because Steve's words, and the breath he blew on Billy's damp skin, sent him flying over the finish line almost instantly. He released a moan that felt like it came from his stomach instead of his lungs, and his whole body shuddered. Steve was unrelenting, and fucked Billy all the way through it. It felt like the fireworks outside were going off in his head and body, the cracks of sound accentuating the twitches and jerks crashing through him. It was the best orgasm of his life. As Billy came back to his senses he felt Steve go rigid above him, and then the pulsing of his cock inside him as Steve came. He groaned in a rough voice, then collapsed onto Billy in a boneless heap. As the fireworks faded outside, their breath and hearts slowed back to normal. Billy wrapped his arms around Steve and held him.  
“Happy New Year, Steve.”  
Steve chuckled breathlessly, and rolled off Billy, who immediately missed the weight of him. Steve didn't move away. Instead he laid on his side, and wiggled until he was resting his head on Billy's shoulder. He put a leg over Billy's leg, and an arm over his chest. It was comfortable, in every way Billy could think of. He could fall asleep like this, in spite of a damp sheet under him, and come drying to a sticky mess on his stomach. Steve seemed to agree with him, because he sighed in what sounded like complete contentment. 

They lay there a long time, dozing, and getting cold from the sweat slowly drying on their skin. Steve managed to dislodge enough blanket to cover them. Billy felt him move his head to look up at him, so he looked down. Steve was smiling. He moved his hand up to hold Billy's neck gently. Billy smiled cheekily at him.  
“You seem possessive,” Billy said.  
“Maybe a little,” Steve agreed. “You seem like something I want to keep. To myself, and not share you.”  
Billy made an amused sound, partly to mask how good that statement made him feel. Steve Harrington possessive of him, Billy fucking Hargrove, asshole extraordinaire. It was crazy.  
“I know we haven't talked about it,” Steve said after a while, “but I've been meaning to ask you something.”  
“What is it?”  
“It feels a little stupid to say it, but I guess it's better than going around wondering if we're there yet.” The hand on Billy's neck moved slowly back and forth.  
“Now I definitely want to know what it is.”  
“You wanna be my boyfriend?”  
Billy stopped breathing. Boyfriend. Steve was asking him to be his fucking boyfriend, like a fucking fourteen year old. It was fucking awesome.  
“I thought maybe I'd made it clear how much I want that,” Billy said, almost with trepidation, like some part of him expected it to be a joke, even though he knew it wasn't.  
“Is that a yes?”  
“Yes,” Billy said, with a smile he hoped showed all the warmth he felt. “I want to be your boyfriend.”  
“Cool,” was Steve's only response, before he moved his head down to snuggle Billy's shoulder again. 

Billy had thought they'd kiss, as a way to affirm it, but Steve didn't move. It was okay. If they were boyfriends they could kiss as much as they wanted whenever they weren't in public. Every day. Knowing that felt fucking amazing. Billy pulled Steve closer for a moment. When he did he felt how much of a mess they still were. Sticky and damp.  
“I have a question for you now,” Billy said.  
“Yeah?” Steve murmured, without looking up.  
“Are we going to clean up before going to sleep?”  
“No.”  
“No?”  
“No. We're going to fall asleep like this, and wake up really early from feeling sticky and yucky, and then we'll shower together, maybe with some dirty stuff thrown in, and then have breakfast, also together. I'll share my pie with you.”  
“For breakfast?” Billy asked, and tried to not laugh. Steve was adorable.  
“Mhm.”  
Billy lost the struggle, and chuckled. “All right. I can get behind that plan.”  
“Good, because I'm not moving. Even if your arm goes dead.”  
“I can live with that,” Billy said, and moved his hand up to hold the arm Steve had over his chest.  
“Good night, gorgeous,” Steve murmured, and sounded like he was about to fall asleep.  
“Good night, pretty boy.”  
Steve made an amused sound, before releasing that contented sigh again. Billy lay still, listened to Steve's breathing slowing into sleep, and felt very very much in love.


	5. Chapter 5

It was a lovely evening, and Steve was waiting for Billy to get home from work. It was Valentine's Day, and even at a simple place like the RR Diner it was busy as hell. Billy didn't get off until 11pm, if they didn't run late, so Steve still had some waiting to do. He'd taken tomorrow off, so it was okay that Billy worked tonight. They could stay up all night. He sat watching romantic crap on the TV, wrapped in the blanket he had actually bought for Billy for Christmas. It was a little crazy sitting here, in Billy's apartment. An apartment he had a key for, even though he didn't live here. The breakup with Brad, and the weird couple of days after, had changed a shitload for him. He didn't live in the city anymore. He'd gone to get the rest of his stuff from Brad's place, because he wanted to show the asshole he wasn't scared, put in notice at work, and moved back to his parents' place. Now he worked at his dad's company, temporarily if things went well, and had his own apartment, sadly quite a way away from where Billy lived. It was bigger than Billy's, but not by much. Big enough to have a separate bedroom and living room. Another thing that had changed was that he now had a proper boyfriend. One who wanted to know things about him, and knew him in ways Brad had never bothered to. One who made his days better. One who treated kisses like they were something special, and who was a bit of a perv. One who was no longer a piece of shit, but who still had asshole tendencies, and a temper. Someone who had turned out to be surprisingly sweet when the mood hit him. Steve was intensely in love. In the person this time, and not the idea of a relationship. Then, as if these changes weren't enough, another huge change was that he had come out to his friends. Not his parents yet, but the kids, Nancy and Jonathan, and to Joyce and Hopper. No one had freaked out, but Max had made gagging sounds when she found out he and Billy were a thing. All in all, all the changes were good, and his life was kind of great now. 

It was still weird that he and Billy were a thing now. That was what they called it. A thing. They'd spent so much time not liking each other. So much time being secretly attracted to each other, and angry and frustrated they couldn't do anything about it. So much time riling each other up, and arguing, and getting in each other's faces in a bad way. And Billy had spent a lot of time being secretly in love with Steve. Very in love. Steve had had no idea, no suspicion. He never would have guess the womanizer exterior of Billy was just a front, designed to cover the fact he wasn't actually attracted to women at all. It was a front he still played up. They didn't want people not close to them to know they were even gay, let alone boyfriends. Secrecy was easier than trying to deal with fallout. Steve was in no hurry to tell his parents, and Billy had expressed that cutting off his own dick with a pair of dull scissors was higher on his list of wants than telling his dad he was gay. Steve was rather partial to Billy's dick, so it wasn't like he was going to protest the priorities. Neil Hargrove might be Steve's least favorite person in the world right now, and he liked him less every time Billy told him anything about him. It was really no wonder Billy had been such a piece of shit. 

Tonight they had decided to hang out at Billy's place. It was easier for Billy to go home after work, instead of to Steve's place, and he'd want to shower and change as soon as he got back. Steve had readied some food he could heat when Billy got back, while he was in the shower or something. He wasn't going to do anything more with it until he heard Billy's car outside, in case he ran late. He had sneaked a bottle of good wine from his dad's collection, that he was relatively sure would never be missed. It was cliché as fuck. Billy wasn't a wine person, and Steve wasn't either, but it was Valentine's Day, and free alcohol. He'd even brought wine glasses, which was probably stupid. He felt like a teenager trying to be adult, which probably wasn't far from the truth. He just wanted to make Billy's night awesome. The fact he wouldn't be wearing anything under the blanket would probably help. His plan was to get nude while Billy was showering. He could do it now, but it was at least 2 hours until Billy got home, and the apartment wasn't exactly on fire. Instead he curled up more cozy with the blanket and kept watching junk. Maybe he should have picked out a movie for them to watch, but he knew romance movies made Billy want to gouge his eyes out with a fork, and Steve didn't want to watch action on Valentine's Day. A lesser known thing about Steve was that he was a sucker for romantic stuff. He didn't want people to know this fact about himself, because it was embarrassing for a guy his age to get all soft and mushy when watching fictional people kiss on the screen, or get excited by the thought of giving his loved one roses and chocolate on Valentine's Day. Billy was about to find out, because Steve had both things sitting hidden in a bag on the kitchen counter, because he hadn't been able to resist. Billy would probably think it was stupid as shit, but Steve was damn well going to do it anyway. There were candles hidden in the bag too. He would pretend nothing was up when Billy came home, and then go all out while he was cleaning up after work. Candles, flowers, chocolate, food, wine, and nudity. Then Billy would laugh, and Steve would be embarrassed, and it would be cool. And then they could have hot steamy sex until they fell asleep from exhaustion. Well spent Valentine's Day. He closed his eyes and imagined Billy thoroughly wooed, nude, and horny. 

Next thing he knew he was waking up to Billy kissing his forehead. Fuck, he'd fallen asleep. God damn it.   
“Did you just get in?” he asked without opening his eyes.   
“Nope, got home half an hour ago. You were so cute I didn't want to wake you until I was ready to ravage you.”   
Steve opened his eyes and saw Billy's hair was damp. So much for that plan. He looked at the table and saw an open wine bottle with two wine glasses next to it, roses, candles, and chocolate. Two of the roses were pink. There was a smell of food coming from the kitchen. God damn it.   
“I found all this neat stuff sitting on the counter,” Billy said with a cheeky grin.   
“I was going to surprise you.” Steve rubbed his eyes and sat up.   
“I'm not that surprised, to be honest.”  
“No?” Steve asked with a frown. How had he known?   
“You're a romantic sap, Steve,” Billy said reasonably, but still with that cheeky grin. “If I hadn't come home to roses on Valentine's Day I would have wondered what was wrong.”   
“Screw you,” Steve scoffed with no venom, and flipped him off in a way that they both knew wasn't meant to be actually rude.   
“I have a surprise for you in return,” Billy continued, and now his smile changed to something cuter.   
“Really? What?” Steve got excited.   
Billy picked a VHS up from the table and gave it to him.   
“I rented this for us to watch tonight. I know you love that romance shit, even though you try to hide it.”   
The movie was St. Elmo's Fire, which Steve wouldn't categorize as a romance, but was cool nonetheless. He really appreciated the gesture from Billy. It was fucking sweet.   
“I haven't seen it,” Billy said. “The guy at the video place recommended it.”  
“You're going to love it. Especially Rob Lowe's character.”  
“You've seen it,” Billy said, without turning it into a question. He looked a little disappointed.   
“Yep, it's great,” Steve said with a grin, hoping he hadn't somehow ruined something. “His name is Billy.”  
Billy chuckled, and the look of disappointment faded away. He went to check on the food.   
“You know, I was meaning to cook for you tonight,” Steve said, knowing he didn't need to raise his voice to be heard in the kitchen corner, “so you wouldn't have to, after spending the whole evening doing just that.”   
“You did most of it, and it's awesome. Thank you.” Billy came back. He sat down next to Steve and leaned in for a gentle kiss. “Do your friends know how fucking sweet you can be?”  
“No. It would ruin my image.”  
“What's that? Dorky babysitter?”  
“Screw you, asshole,” Steve chuckled, and stuck out his tongue at him.   
“I _was_ kind of hoping that would be on the table tonight.” Billy tugged gently on a strand of Steve's hair.   
“Literally on the table?” Steve asked, already getting turned on.   
“Maybe?” Billy grinned. “The bed is comfier, though, and I wouldn't have to worry about candles setting my hair on fire.”   
“It could do with a cut.”  
“No, it fucking couldn't. You leave my hair alone.”  
Steve laughed for a moment before he was able to say the next thing he wanted to add. Billy's reaction was just too adorable, and predictable.   
“Except when I pull it during sex,” Steve finally continued.   
“Except that,” Billy agreed.   
Since New Year's Eve they had pretty much had sex every time they spent more than an hour together, sometimes just jerking each other off, or mutual blow jobs, but often all the way. Steve loved the honeymoon feeling of it. He'd never had this with Brad, which should have tipped him off something was off from the get-go. Brad had had issues being on the receiving end, which hadn't bothered Steve, but it was nice that Billy enjoyed both ways, very much. Steve enjoyed both ways too, but there was something about being balls deep in Billy that just flipped all the right switches. 

They got the food together, and sat down to watch the movie. It was delicious. Steve just knew it wouldn't have been anywhere near this good if he'd made it himself. He could cook, but he wasn't very good at it. He was better than he had been, though, because Billy had been teaching him useful tricks. When they were cooking together, Steve sometimes imagined sharing a living space with Billy. Living together was more risky in a small town than in the city, since rumors were much more likely to start flying, and people were more likely to react negatively to it. Still, the idea was very appealing. He'd already lived with a boyfriend once, and he had a feeling living with Billy would be so much better. Halfway through the movie, Billy paused it and went to get something from the fridge, that Steve hadn't been allowed to look at earlier. It was a pie. A whole pie. Billy cut them each a piece.   
“Strawberry rhubarb,” he said proudly. “Not as good as in summer, because the fruit was frozen, but still pretty good.”  
“I didn't even know you could freeze rhubarb,” Steve said dumbly, distracted by how warm and fuzzy he was feeling. Billy had brought him the pie he'd told Steve was the best one.   
“Apparently you can, but it was a pain in the ass to get hold of.”  
“Did you make this pie just for me?”   
“I actually asked Sean to make it, because he's better at it than I am.” Billy shrugged and smiled. “But I did have to go get the frozen rhubarb in the city.”  
“Was that the time you said you couldn't hang out with me, because you had to go get something for the diner?” Steve asked with a grin. He'd been a little disappointed that day, but felt now it had been totally worth it, even before tasting the pie.   
“Yep, but I did actually pick up some stuff for the diner too, so it wasn't a total lie.”   
“I had this romantic evening planned for us, and here you go and leave me in the dirt, with a pie.” Steve took hold of Billy's face with both hands, and kissed him enthusiastically, wanting to show just how good he was feeling now. “Fuck man, you're fucking amazing, and sweet, and romantic, and did I mention amazing?”  
Billy smiled into the kiss, and they let themselves get lost in it; movie temporarily forgotten. 

Eventually they decided to eat some pie and watch the rest of the movie. Steve was already hard, and he saw a matching erection strain at Billy's pants. Still, they put the movie back on, and ignored their current conditions. Steve tried the pie, and it was fucking divine. By the time the movie was over he'd had four slices, and was starting to feel a little guilty for being a glutton. As soon as the credits started rolling, Billy turned to Steve and pulled him into a gentle kiss. Steve thought they were going to get the show on the road now, but Billy stopped before they could get properly going. Steve made a disappointed sound that made Billy grin.   
“Impatient today, huh?”  
“It's the middle of the night, and I've waited for you all day, thinking dirty thoughts the whole time.”   
“I like your dirty thoughts. Tell me about them.”  
“I'll show you instead,” Steve said, turned on by Billy's request.  
He tried to kiss Billy again, but was held at bay. He was about to start cursing, when Billy said something that took him by surprise.   
“I think Peggy knows about us.”   
“Wait. What?”   
“When I packed up the pie to take with me she said happy Valentine's Day, which isn't weird. I said it back, and tried to play it off like I was going home alone, and that the pie was for someone tomorrow, but then she took two roses from a vase on the counter,” he said, and pointed at the two pink roses, “put them in the bag, and said “tell Steve I said hi”. I didn't even know what to fucking say.”   
“Holy shit.”   
“I was like, “I might see him tomorrow”, but she just grinned and said “uh huh, have fun tonight”. So like, she didn't come out and say it, but dude, it's pretty heavily fucking implied at this point.”  
“Yeah, I think she knows,” Steve agreed, not troubled in the least about the implication.   
“Fuck,” Billy cursed loudly.   
“Dude, chill,” Steve said calmly. “If she had an issue with it she wouldn't be giving you roses and making fun. She'd be firing you.”   
“I wonder if Carol said something,” Billy said with a frown. Steve was a little worried he'd get angry.  
“Maybe? Doesn't really matter, I think. Your boss is kinda observant. She could probably tell from just seeing us together.”  
“I don't like that thought at all.”   
“Let's worry about it some other day,” Steve said with a smile. He scooted closer to Billy. “Tonight I am full of pie and wine, and want to fuck you senseless.”   
“Can I fuck you senseless instead?” Billy asked with a look of aroused mischief on his face.  
“Sure,” Steve agreed. “Sounds good to me.” 

They stopped holding back. Steve just immediately climbed onto Billy's lap and locked their lips together. Billy put Steve's arms over his shoulders, took a god grip on his ass, and stood up. Steve nearly squeaked in surprise at suddenly being picked up. Billy brought him over to the bed and dumped him on it, then he went back and blew out the candles. Fire safety. Steve was oddly turned on by it. Though, at this point he was horny enough that just about anything would turn him on. The fact Billy was hot as fuck was really just a bonus right now. Not that his looks had ever been essential. Even that first time it was more Billy's behavior than his looks that had decided Steve on whether or not to go to his place. Billy came back, got the necessary items out of the bedside drawer, and crawled on top of Steve, straddling him, then kissing him hotly. Steve reached down and took a good hold on Billy's ass, and squeezed. Billy demonstratively tightened his buttocks in response. It was nice, this having fun they did when it came to sex. Sex didn't have to be serious. You could joke around, and still get to the good stuff in a timely manner, and it didn't detract at all from the pleasure. It wasn't something he'd fully grasped before this thing with Billy started. Now he embraced it. Just like he was about to embrace Billy, so he could flip them over. Billy realized what Steve was up to, and headed it off. He grabbed Steve's wrists and held them to each side of Steve's head.   
“No trying to take control, pretty boy,” Billy said. “You're mine tonight.”   
Steve considered struggling and being demanding, like he wanted to be, but went with compliant instead. He relaxed his arms.   
“Then have me,” he said quietly.   
Billy groaned low in his throat, clearly turned on my Steve's words. It was awesome to have this effect on someone. As soon as Billy let go of his hands, Steve busied himself trying to remove Billy's clothes. Billy did the same with Steve. It took a lot of moving, pulling, and wiggling, but soon they were naked, Billy was still on top, and they'd gone back to making out like there was no tomorrow. Steve ran his hands all over Billy's perfect torso. The hard muscles, and the beautiful skin that still had a slight tan after last summer, unlike Steve's skin that never seemed to get a tan at all. He just got red, and then went back to white. Billy tanned beautifully, and kept the tan forever. Like some kind of golden Greek god. Steve just wanted to lick him all over. 

Billy kissed along Steve's jaw until he reached his ear. He licked it, before whispering.   
“You're so fucking gorgeous. I've never had a better Valentine's Day, and it's because you're here.”   
Steve wanted to tell Billy he loved him, because right now it really fucking felt that way. It felt like he was more in love than he'd ever been before in his life. But he'd been burned before, and he hesitated. Was it too early to feel like this about someone after not even two months? It probably was, but he felt it anyway. He'd just keep it to himself for now, and wait for Billy. It was fine. It was even more fine when Billy licked his neck down to his collarbone, and kept going. The man's tongue was so talented, and he knew exactly when to kiss, and suck to drive Steve crazy. Steve just let himself be swept away, and didn't hold back any of the moans that wanted to escape him. Billy seemed to take it as a sign he could do whatever he wanted, because what he did with his hands and mouth intensified. Teeth and nails got involved. Steve tangled his fingers in Billy's hair. He pulled it, but wasn't trying to direct him anywhere. He just needed something to hold onto. Billy hummed quietly in response. It wasn't a moan, but it wasn't a sound of displeasure either. He reached Steve's hips, and spent some time abusing the sensitive skin there, until Steve cursed at him. Billy chuckled, and licked Steve's cock. The move surprised Steve enough that he gasped. Billy kept going, but Steve could feel him smile. 

There was no rush in Billy's movements, but he also didn't waste time. He heated lube on his fingers before pushing one inside Steve. This was a very familiar feeling to Steve, and one he very much enjoyed. Having something inside him was definitely not a hardship. Having a part of Billy's body in him went beyond that and well into the area of awesome. Billy knew exactly where Steve's prostate was, and exactly how much pressure and playing with it Steve enjoyed before it became too much. It was something he'd learned early. Steve had done the same for Billy. They'd spent hours exploring each other's bodies, and learning how to best pleasure the other. It was such a great feeling to be with someone who was so interested in learning these things about him, and who wanted the same things too. Steve loved learning about Billy, and how to make him moan and squirm. Right now it was his turn to moan and squirm, because Billy was doing wonderful things to him. A second finger had joined the first, and Billy was sucking firmly on Steve's cock. He used the thumb on the hand that was fucking Steve to rub his balls in a circular motion. Steve felt like he was going to come too soon, and he wasn't sure he had anything against it. It just felt that good. But, he decided to make an effort to get to the next step anyway. It was really quite simple, when he thought about it.   
“Billy...” he moaned breathlessly, in a way he knew turned Billy on.   
Billy made a small undefinable sound while sucking, then let the cock slip from his lips. He cursed quietly.   
“Say my name again.”  
“Billy,” Steve repeated, then added the magic word. “Please.”   
Billy made a sound that was adorably close to a whimper, so Steve kept going.   
“Billy. Now, Billy. Please, Billy.” He emphasized the name every time.   
Billy cursed again, more loudly this time, and immediately moved up Steve so he could kiss him. Steve grinned into the kiss and felt in control. 

Billy got the condom on in a hurry, fumbling with it, and struggling to open the wrapper. Steve found his insanely adorable. When he finally got it on he started lifting Steve's legs, to get better access, but Steve had other ideas. He scooted out of Billy's grip, turned around, and got on his hands and knees. He looked over his shoulder back at Billy, who had a look of glazed arousal in his eyes. He looked like his erection had stolen all the blood to his brain, and now he wasn't able to think actual thoughts.   
“Come on, hot stuff. Give it to me,” Steve said.   
Billy groaned and didn't have to be told twice. He'd barely even positioned himself before he slammed into Steve hard. The breath was practically knocked out of Steve. Billy set a brutal pace that didn't let Steve catch his breath again. He was reduced to a gasping, panting mess, and he fucking loved it. He lost purchase with his hands and ended up on his elbows. The new angle was even better. Billy grabbed a handful of Steve's hair and pulled, while holding onto his hip with bruising force. Steve managed to get onto one elbow so he could reach his own dick. He was going to come so fucking fast. The panting moans coming from Billy told him he was going to come fast too. As he started jerking off, completely unable to be even remotely in time with Billy's thrusts, Steve tightened the muscles around Billy's cock. The response was a curse and a groaned “Steve”, and then Billy was coming. Hearing his name like that pushed Steve over the edge too, and he came all over his hand and the sheet. They collapsed in a heap, both gasping for breath and trembling. 

Billy was heavy, so soon Steve turned to his side, so Billy slid off and ended up behind him. He slid out of Steve in the process. There was some fumbling that Steve assumed was Billy disposing of the condom, and then Billy snuggled up behind him. Steve wiggled and scooted back until every part of their bodies that could reasonably be touching was touching. His breathing was still not completely calm, and small tremors still trickled through him. He chuckled.   
“Holy shit, Billy. That was fucking awesome.”   
“God, the way you say my name when you're turned on... I fucking love you.”   
Tension instantly filled the room as both Steve and Billy stiffened at the words. Steve only let a second go by before he quickly turned around and pulled Billy into a hard kiss. He was not going to let this turn awkward. He just wasn't. When they broke apart, Billy looked at him apologetically.   
“I'm sorry man, I didn't-”  
Steve interrupted him.   
“I was thinking the same thing earlier,” he said, and brushed Billy's damp hair away from his face. “I was thinking it's probably too soon to feel like this, but I was thinking it, and feeling it. Just so you know.”  
“It probably _is_ too soon.”  
“Yeah, maybe, but I don't think it matters. It's not like I'm planning on breaking up with you, so eventually we'll get to when it's not too soon.”   
“You're making me want to say it again,” Billy said with a shy smile, “but I'll wait. Until it's not too soon.”   
“Sounds good,” Steve agreed, and kissed him again. “Happy Valentine's Day.”  
“Well, technically it's not Valentine's Day anymore,” Billy said in an exaggerated lecturing way.   
“Shut up, asshole.”   
“Happy Valentine's Day, pretty boy. It was perfect,” Billy said, then kissed him gently and sweetly.   
Steve hummed his agreement and turned back around. When he was properly up against Billy again, Billy wrapped a possessive arm over his chest. Steve felt warm, held, and wanted. It was fucking awesome. It was funny how life worked out. He'd come home for Christmas because he'd needed the familiar people in his life to help remind him a breakup wasn't the worst that could happen. They had, and then Billy had asked him to come to his place, and over the next six weeks had shown him that a breakup could actually be fucking great, because it could lead to new things. His breakup had led him to where he was now; freshly fucked, and, when it wasn't too soon, to new love, with someone better.


End file.
